


A Dream That Became a Memory

by Janie94



Category: Football RPF, Original Work
Genre: Alpha!Jakub, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Collars, Dark, Drama, Dubious Consent, Flashbacks, Imprisonment, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mentions to Possible Rape, Omega!Robert, Past Leweus, Past Relationship(s), Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-Con Warning Is Not For the Main Relationships, Slavery, alpha!thomas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-20 07:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 62,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11331483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94
Summary: They had known it long before they had understood what it meant. They had known that they belonged together as far as their earliest memories dated back.It had been a dream. A dream that had eventually been shattered...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pinkquill22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkquill22/gifts).



> My dearest pinkquill22,
> 
> Happy birthday! I wish you all the best on this special day and hope you will like my birthday story for you.  
> I mused a long time which couple to write about. I knew instantly that I wanted a A/B/O story because one of the earliest things you told me was how much you like them. But I didn't want this to feel like one of my usual stories or as though I could have written in any other way, so I tried something new with the dynamics which made it darker than before. I hope you don't mind that.  
> Picking the right couple was a decision I kind of avoided. ;-) I know you love Robert, Marco, Thomas and Kuba, hence I added them all. Most interactions will be between Thomas and Robert, but this is a Leweus story at heart, but Marco, he is... well, you should read it yourself. I hope to update once a week.

 

 

**A Dream That Became a Memory**

 

 

_They had known it long before they had understood what it meant._

_They had known that they belonged together as far as their earliest memories dated back._

_They had been inseparable as children, constantly spending time with each other and playing until the day turned into night and their parents had to separate them._

_With each year that had passed by the two boys became more of what they were destined to become; that their friendship had evolved into some kind of bond._

_They were sixteen when they first kissed and promised to each other that they would form a mating bond once both of them had presented and the next few years they kept wondering what their nature would turn out to be._

_At first they had been sure they were both going to present as Alphas because they were both physically strong, cheeky yet protective of those they cared about. But they had changed their mind about this once they remembered that two Alphas would always need another more submissive party even if it was only for sex. They would need a Beta – or an Omega but seeing how rare they were this was not a likely possibility. And neither of them could imagine loving somebody else, so they had settled for either one of them being an Alpha and the other a Beta or both being Betas._

_They hadn't cared which one it would turn out to be. All that had mattered was that they would be together. That their dream of becoming mates and spend the rest of their lives together would finally turn out to be true._

_It had been a dream. A dream that had eventually been shattered._

_Because at the age of twenty-one he had presented as an Omega..._

 

“Omega Nine, wake up!”

His eyes snapped open, an instinctive reaction to being woken up even though it was to no avail because the lights were still out and he couldn't see anything besides darkness.

Carefully he sat up, wincing at the pain the action caused him because his back still wasn't healed yet, the wounds burning with each movement he made.

The air in his cell was fresher than he was used to and he shivered at the coldness before taking a few deep breaths, enjoying the fresh oxygen. Someone must have cleaned his cell from the blood right after he had fallen unconscious.

His thoughts were interrupted when all of a sudden the lights switched on, bright white flooding the corridor and each cell before he could hear the sound of the door opening. There were footsteps and the Omega could tell even before he heard the Beta's voice that it was the guard that had woken him up, the boss of security in this facility. But he wasn't alone.

Omega Nine was used to getting visitors every now and then, most of them doctors that were treating him when he was sick, injured or in heat. Sometimes he got visitors, Alphas that came with the intention of buying him but always left cursing him, after he had attacked them as soon as they tried to enter his cell.

Sometimes Omega Nine wondered why he was still fighting his fate, why he still attacked every person that tried to touch him with ulterior motives – which had turned out to be more than he could count – but the thought of surrendering to anybody else than  _him_ felt entirely wrong. And so Omega Nine kept on fighting even though it was always followed by pain.

He figured the person coming his way with the guard was one of those visitors as well.

Omega Nine raised his head to look at the two men approaching him from the other side of the glass and the guard's lips curled in amusement. He had been here long enough to know how this meeting was going to end and that he would get to punish the Omega for it.

“You have a visitor, Omega Nine!” the Beta announced with a fake smile before shifting his gaze expectantly to the man beside him.

Omega Nine followed his gaze, taking in the young man standing there and watching him silently. He had to be around his own age and height, staring at the Omega with an unreadable expression.

Omega Nine quickly turned his gaze away, showing his lack of interest but he still kept the young man in the corner of his eye in case the guy was doing something stupid.

Nothing happened for a long moment, then the stranger spoke to the guard. “Open the door.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” the guard replied casually. “This Omega doesn’t let anybody besides the doctors touch him without putting up a fight.”

“I have read the file,” the stranger replied with growing impatience. “I’m aware what he is capable of and as you know I signed the paper stating whatever happened would do so at my own responsibility. Now open the door!”

The guard raised his hands in a placant manner. “Fine, I was just being concerned about your well-being, sir.”

Then he raised his hand towards the lock at the left side of the glass and as soon as the system had identified his fingerprint, the door opened.

Omega Nine had long given up on trying to flee whenever one of the guards opened his door. Even if he somehow managed to get out of his cell, he never made it out of the facility. Besides, his previous attempts to escape had brought him a lot of pain and three days without food.

So his only reaction to the glass door opening was to turn his head towards the two men, baring his teeth warningly. Sometimes that was enough to drive his visitors away with the use of violence. Not this time though. 

The man didn’t even flinch but entered the cell with carefully measured steps, remaining a safe distance away from Omega Nine as he started to round him.

The Omega realized instantly that the man was trying to lure him into false safety by putting himself against the wall and revealing the exit.

Not that Omega Nine was falling for mind games, but it was always a welcome change when a visitor recognized that he was an intellectual human being. Most of them treated him like an untamed animal.

The stranger was definitely an Alpha because with the glass between them gone, Omega Nine could pick up on the dark and healthy scent, a stark contrast to his own stale and unhealthy one. The Alpha seemed to have the same thought because his greenish blue eyes softened just the tiniest bit. 

The expression vanished a moment later when he turned to the guard still standing outside. “Leave us alone.”

The guard tensed. “I can’t do that, sir. I am responsible for your safety and trust me, you will need me for dealing with this Omega, he-“

The Alpha’s low growl silenced him instantly. “May I remind you that I am the captain of unit consisting of fifty men? I’m not some Alpha prick wanting to rape an Omega , I’m here to help him. So I will ask you one more time to leave us alone and I won’t repeat myself.”

Omega Nine had to suppress a chuckle when he saw the usually so cocky Beta duck his head in submission before walking away. The cell was still unlocked and there was no guard here now. If Omega Nine could overpower the Alpha, he had a very slim chance of making it to the building’s entrance.

The Alpha showed him a lopsided grin. “Don’t even think about it. I’m a trained soldier while you are sick and injured. I don’t want to hurt you even more.”

The Omega snorted in disbelief. He had heard that one before.

But he had to begrudgingly admit that the Alpha was right, he had no chance of beating him in a physical fight. “What do you want from me, Alpha?” he snarled.

“I want to help you,” the Alpha replied. “You just have to let me.”

Omega Nine however hissed warningly, taking a step closer. “I know what “helping an Omega’ means and my answer is no!”

He expected a fight or anger, but there was wariness and a strange glint in the Alpha’s eyes when he asked quietly, “Did someone ever force themselves on you?”

“No, but they tried,” he replied.

The Alpha growled. “The government wants its Omegas to remain untouched for their buyers. The guards should make sure of that.”

Omega Nine shrugged. “They don’t care about what happens to us. As long as they don’t report an incident, nobody would know that an Omega got raped.”

The Alpha was silent for a moment before saying in a softer tone, “I’m sorry about that. But I have no intention of forcing myself on you.”

“You will have to,” Omega Nine retorted, his words sounding more like a hiss. “Because I will never let you touch me otherwise.”

“That’s not why want to buy you, Omega.” He pulled at the collar of his shirt, revealing a bite wound at the side of his throat. “I already have a mate.”

Though the revelation surprised Omega Nine, he snorted. “You know Omegas are rarely bought for mating. It’s only about sex and domination.”

The Alpha sighed. “Unfortunately you’re right, that’s what society thinks you are for. It doesn’t mean that I agree with that opinion.”

“You just said that you’re a captain,” Omega Nine spat back. “You work for the government and now you seriously expect me to buy that you don’t share their beliefs?”

The Alpha stared at him with narrowed eyes as though he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure whether he should do it. “My mate is my second-in-command.”

“How is this important now?”

“Because we didn’t mate out of love, not initially.”

That finally sparked the Omega’s interest. A mating bond was connection for a lifetime and sacred, no one would dare to form one unless they didn’t mean it. “Then why did you?”

“Because it was the only way for us to remain part of the same unit and we needed to stay together for our undertaking.”

The Omega frowned. He remembered vaguely that there was a special rule for mates who wanted to be part of the same unit. Their bond allowed them to feel if their mate was in danger and it could drive them into madness if they were in another unit and unable to help. And the government preferred a soldier simply following their mate into certain death than one who was out of control with worry.

So if he understood this Alpha right, he had only mated to make use of this rule. “But why?”

“I can’t tell you yet,” the Alpha responded with regret. “Not here where it’s not safe. Somewhere where we will be alone.”

Omega Nine snarled, his curiosity vanished. “I have to admit, nice try. This has to be the most creative way someone tried to lure me in.”

“How many times do I have to say it? I don’t want to buy you for sex.”

“Then what do you want me for?” the Omega shouted back, his voice ringing in the silence of his cell.

They stared at each other for a long time and the Omega fought against the instinct to drop his gaze first. Eventually the Alpha sighed before crossing the distance between them, ignoring the Omega’s warning hisses.

There was something about him that prevented the Omega from attacking him right away, perhaps the soft look in his eyes or the lack of lust in his scent. Something that made the Omega want to hear him out.

And so he made no move even as his heart was beating painfully fast with fear when the Alpha leaned closer until his lips were almost touching the Omega’s earlobe. “The sole reason why I am working for the government is to help Omegas like you. I’m not going to buy you just to put even more chains on you but to free you from them.” The Omega shivered at those words, unable to understand their meaning but still recognizing the sincerity in the Alpha’s voice even before the latter’s next words undid him completely. “Don’t you want to go home, Robert?”

_Robert._

It had been years since somebody had last called him by that name…

 

“ _Hang on, Robert, the doctors will be here any second now!”_

_His body was aching with the force of his very first heat and he was barely able to understand the words, but he recognized the voice and that alone made him calm down. Equally familiar hands were stroking his damp hair soothingly and the Omega closed his eyes and pushed his head closer to the touch._

_He only wanted to feel_ his  _touch and forget about the world, forget that his worst nightmare had just become true._

“ _I’m an Omega!” he whispered in a broken voice just before his abdomen clenched again and he could feel a new heat wave rolling through his body like a raging fire. “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry!”_

“ _Shh, it’s not your fault.” When Robert looked up, he saw nothing but love and warmth in the green eyes staring down at him. “I will come for you, Robert. I know you’re strong enough to fight them for a while. It should only be a couple of months, in the worst case two or three years until I will present as well. And as soon as I do, no matter if I will be an Alpha or Beta, I will buy you and bring you back home, I promise.”_

_Robert closed his eyes in relief, raising his hand to pull his best friend’s face down towards his own and put a kiss to his lips. It was the last moment of tenderness for the Omega before his crying mother appeared with several doctors in tow._

_Robert knew what would happen. They would officially determine him an Omega and he would immediately be taken away from the place he called home, into one of the facilities the government had created for them with the purpose of saving the extremely rare Omegas for the strongest and best fitting Alpha._

_The perfect DNA._

_In reality the Omegas were sold to the Alphas with the most money._

_Robert shivered at the thought, swearing to himself that nobody else would ever get to touch him in an intimate way. He had saved himself for his lover and he wouldn’t let the cruel world make him break his promise._

_He turned his head towards his older sister who was standing beside him and crying for his sake, her eyes red and puffy. He could hear rather than see his mother sobbing somewhere behind her while the doctors were eying him with both shock and pity._

_No one had been prepared for Robert to present as an Omega, no one had even entertained the possibility. Because Omegas were much too rare and there had never been a single one in their town for as long as he could remember._

_Robert kept shifting until his eyes finally found those of his beloved and the expression in those eyes broke his heart. “Don’t worry, they won’t manage to break me no matter what they will do. I will wait for my rightful Alpha.”_

“ _Or Beta,” the younger man responded but Robert shook his head. “No, you’re not a Beta. I can sense it, you’re much too emotionally driven to be one.”_

_His words calmed his lover down a bit and he approached the bed again, ignoring every other person in the room as he started to stroke Robert’s face again. “I will find you again, Robert. And when I do, I will lay my claim on you so no one will be able to take you away from me again.”_

_It was the last time Robert and Marco had seen each other and also the last time someone had used his real name. Until now._

 

The Omega felt disorientated when his mind returned from the memory, struggling to bring together the memory of Robert and the reality of Omega Nine. They were like two different persons, time and pain having changed him too much.

The Alpha had stepped back from him but otherwise not moved or said a word to interrupt his memory, only watching him attentively. “You completely spaced out for two minutes. What were you thinking of, Robert?”

The use of his real name made Omega Nine flinch, reminding him of what he had lost and would never get back. He shook his head to rid himself of the unwelcome emotion and replied, “My last day at home. The last time I was with my loved ones.” He hated to see sympathy entering the Alpha’s eyes but didn’t say anything.

“I could bring you back home to them,” the Alpha offered again and Omega Nine clenched his hands to fists as he fought against the spark of hope growing in his heart. He couldn’t afford to hope for something that would never become reality because when his hope would inevitably die, it would hurt a lot more than any amount of punches or whiplashes ever could.

“Is this punishment for my disobedience?” he asked in a cold voice, hatred for the Alpha filling him for doing this to him.

“No, it’s not,” the Alpha replied and he sounded tired. “I know it must be hard for you to believe and I will give you three days’ time to think about it. I won’t force you, Robert, but I hope you will give me the opportunity to help you.”

With those words he rounded the Omega who tensed at the scent; one of strength and protectiveness, one that promised him comfort if only he allowed it.

It threw the Omega off as much the offer because ever since he had been taken away from his home, he had never met an Alpha that was kind to him. Not without ulterior motives and he had learned to pick up on that in the Alpha’s scent. Yet there was nothing but honesty in this one.

He silently watched the Alpha leave the cell while the guard returned with a reproachful gaze directed at the Omega. “I’m surprised you didn’t attack him. What did he do to make you behave, Omega Nine? Did he promise to fuck you on a nice and comfortable bed?”

The Omega was far too used to react to that kind of remarks, so he merely retreated to his cot, sitting down on it and taking a deep breath. The air still smelled of the Alpha and the scent was just as pleasant as before. Just as trustworthy.

But could it truly be? Would this Alpha reunite him with his parents, his sister and Marco? Or was it only a scheme meant to break him?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful feedback to the first chapter, I hope this second one doesn't disappoint. :-)

 

  **Chapter 2  
**

 

By the time the third day after the Alpha’s visit came to an end, Omega Nine had made up his mind. He would take the offer. There might be a chance that the Alpha was playing him, but it was a risk worth taking.

The worst thing that could happen was that he became the Alpha’s slave. And something like this would have happened to him sooner rather than later anyway.

He just couldn’t let this opportunity slide.

And so he actually heaved a sigh of relief when there was the sound of a door opening and footsteps approaching his cell at the end of the third day. The guard appeared first, eying him with a dismissive look before opening the door to his cell and stepping aside, revealing the Alpha behind him.

“Hello, Robert.”

The Omega felt a small smile tugging at his lips when he heard the Alpha using his birth name again. “I have been thinking about your offer,” he started hesitantly. “And I just want to make it clear that I won’t be able to trust you even if I wanted to. I have suffered too much at the hands of other people to trust anyone ever again. But this might be the only chance I get to see my home again, so I will take it.”

The Alpha appeared relieved judging by the tension draining from his shoulders. “I know you won’t believe me, Robert, but I won’t disappoint you.” Then he nodded towards the guard who stepped forward and grabbed the Omega by his arm. The latter flinched at the touch but let himself get pulled out of the cell. The three of them made their way through the corridor and Omega Nine’s eyes were drawn to the cells left and right where other Omegas were being held. No one of them had been here as long as him, but he still felt his heart clench with sympathy and his gaze lingered on the one he knew best, Omega Eight whose cell was right next to his own and who had only been abducted two years ago.

They had shared some heartfelt conversations during the nights, talking about their respective homes. Omega Eight had also been in a relationship with somebody who had not presented and without thinking Omega Nine tore his arm free from the startled guard and walked over to the glass separating him from his friend.

“His name was Erik, right?” Omega Eight frowned but gave him an affirmative nod and let him continue. “I will find him and tell him where you are, so that he can buy your freedom. But I need your name for that, your _real_ name.”

The Omega stared at him uncomprehending for several long seconds before he seemed to be able to remember beyond the pain and suffering, to the life he had once been living. “Nuri. My name was Nuri. But I don’t know if he still cares about me, it has been so long.”

To their surprise it was the Alpha who replied to him. “I’m sure he does. And as soon as he has presented, he will come for you. Just hold on to that hope.”

Nuri nodded again and when he turned back to Omega Nine, he smiled encouragingly. “I’m so happy for you, Robert. And I hope that you find what you are looking for.”

“Thank you, Nuri,” Omega Nine replied with a grateful look before he turned away and continued following the impatient guard out of the sector.

They entered a spacious office where an elderly woman - a Beta as well – was already awaiting them. “So, Mr. Müller, seems like you have found a suiting Omega. I have to admit that I’m quite surprised by your choice, after all Omega Nine has made quite a name for himself for being the most defiant and longest-imprisoned Omega we ever had.”

Omega Nine couldn’t help a low snarl that earned him a hateful look from the Beta.

The Alpha however appeared completely unfazed, an arrogant grin appearing on his face that made the Omega’s blood run cold. “That’s why I wanted him. I like my toys putting up a fight.”

Omega Nine growled deep in his throat, feeling betrayed but also foolish that he had seriously thought this Alpha was different from the rest. That he cared.

The Beta however chuckled amusedly before sliding a piece of paper and a pen towards the Alpha. “Very well then, I only need your signature on this document, then Omega Nine is your property. Please don’t forget to add the name you have chosen for him.”

This was the part the Omega had dreaded the most; his Alpha renaming him. Because most documents only referred to him as ‘Omega Nine’, his birth name listed merely in his admission report from seven years ago. Even the worst Alphas preferred a more personal form of address than a number. And besides, renaming a human being was a very twisted way of psychological power play. Therefore he was quite surprised to see the Alpha writing his birth name onto the paper before signing it and handing it back to the Beta.

She nodded before typing something on her keyboard and a frown appeared on her forehead. “Well, Mr. Müller, you seem to have a thing for Omegas, don’t you? Seeing as this is the sixteenth Omega you and your mate have acquired in the last four years.”

Omega Nine turned his head towards his new owner so fast that it almost hurt. Omegas were a very expensive luxury and most Alphas couldn’t even afford one. Not to mention that they constituted less than one percent of the world’s population and were very hard to get, hence the horrendous prices.

He was so shocked that his voice appeared much calmer than he felt. “What are you doing with so many Omegas?”

The Alpha’s eyes were cold, a smirk appearing on his lips. “What does an Alpha do with an Omega?”

Of course. Why was he even disappointed?

It took Omega Nine every ounce of self-control to keep himself from attacking this Alpha who had lured him in with false promises. He shoved the thought away. “Was it a lie when you promised to take me back to my home?”

There was a flicker of warmth in the Alpha’s eyes when he replied, “I meant what I said, Robert. As soon as we have left here and met up with my mate, we will head for your hometown. I promise.”

The reassurance soothed Omega Nine a bit and a strange numbness settled over his heart. If selling his body meant he would get to see his family and Marco again, then he would gladly do it. It meant breaking his own promise he had once made to Marco, but there was no other way. He just needed to see his lover again. And besides, Marco was now 28 years old, so he must have presented by now. And yet he hadn’t come for him. So either he was a Beta and in no position to buy an Omega. Or he had moved on with somebody else…

“Alright then,” was all he said, dropping his defensive stand and averting his eyes. He didn’t bother to listen to the rest of the conversation, holding on to the thought of his home. Nothing else mattered, let the Alpha do as he pleased.

When they were done with the paperwork, the Beta led them away into another room where the sold Omegas were supposed to get a personalized tracking chip that contained information about their owner.

Omega Nine couldn’t help a warning snarl when he saw the simple black collar in the woman’s hands, but she ignored him and wordlessly gave it to the Alpha who had reached out for it before she left the two men alone in the room.

It was quite surprising that the Alpha insisted on collaring his Omega himself and Omega Nine felt a different kind of tension when the other man’s fingers touched his throat. He felt vulnerable and exposed, humiliated even by the strap tightening around him but there was something else underneath that was hard to place. Perhaps the Alpha’s close proximity was the reason for it considering how long it had been since Robert had last stood so close to one, let anyone get touched by one. His attention shifted to the deep mark on the Alpha’s throat.  
“Is your mate a Beta or an Alpha as well?”

“An Alpha,” was the prompt reply. “And definitely the more dominant one.”

Well, that explained their high wear of Omegas, at least kind of. It was very common among Alpha couples to invite an Omega into their bed and fuck them rather than each other. He was curious if this was the case here, but obviously it was a far too personal question to ask his new owner and it looked like he was going to find out soon enough anyway.

He fell silent then, trying to get used to the feeling of the collar around his throat, another chain binding him. So much for the Alpha’s promises of freeing him…

He didn’t speak again until they were sitting in the car, the city becoming smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. He just hoped he would never have to set foot into it again.

He turned towards the other man in the driver’s seat. “So, how do you want me to address you?”

Most owners were fine with ‘Alpha’ or ‘Master’, but of course there were exceptions. The answer he received still managed to surprise him. “My name is Thomas.”

“That’s not what I asked you,” Omega Nine told him irritated, not caring that he was showing disrespect by his back talking.

“I know,” the Alpha replied with the hint of a crooked smile. “But it is still the answer to your question.”

The Omega stared at him for a long moment, wondering how to take this. Omegas never called their Alphas by their first name. Unless…

“I’m willing to let you and your mate take me if that is what I need to do for you to bring me to my family. But you will never have my heart. I couldn’t give it to you even if I wanted to because it already belongs to somebody else. So save your courting and tell me how I should address you.”

The smile only widened. “Oh, Robert, how many times do you want me to tell you that I already have a mate? I have no intention of - how did you call it? - ‘courting’ you, let alone conquer your heart. If you insist on addressing me with ‘Alpha’, fine. But as I said, I bought you to give you back your freedom and I don’t see how it would help if I forced you to call me by a certain name.”

“If my freedom is so important to you, then just take this damn collar off,” the Omega retorted before he could have stopped himself.

The Alpha – Thomas – sighed. “You know I can’t do that.”

Omega Nine let out a furious snarl, feeling hurt by this Alpha betraying him over and over again even though everything in him wanted to trust him. “Why not? Because you like seeing your claim on me?”

Thomas hit the brakes so hard that the seatbelt was digging painfully into the Omega’s front and the vehicle came to a stop with screeching tires. The former’s eyes were finally sparkling with anger. “This collar is no claim, Robert, not for me! I can’t take it off because it shows that you have an owner and everybody who dares to lay a finger on you will face serious punishment. You can hate me all you want but I won’t change my mind. You will wear this collar until we have brought you back to where you belong.”

Omega Nine only nodded, at a loss of what to say. The anger in Thomas’ eyes had been genuine as must have been his reason for not taking the collar off. He truly seemed to care. It could be another lie of course, but somehow that didn't seem to fit Thomas' type at all.

“So you're telling me you and your mate only bought sixteen Omegas out of magnanimity? I still find that hard to believe considering you are two Alphas.”

Thomas looked almost amused by his assumption. “Look, Robert, I admit that you are right to a certain extent. Sometimes it is hard for us to be intimate on our own, to let the other one take control and take on the submissive role. Not always, but still often enough for us to accept an Omega's help.”

Omega Nine snorted in disbelief. “That's a very polite way of saying you bought yourself an Omega.”

Thomas looked like he wanted to protest, but instead he bit his lip and kept quiet.

They didn't speak another word for the rest of the one hour long drive, a loaded tensing settling between them. Omega Nine was glad for it though as his anger and frustration were keeping him from noticing the Alpha's pleasant scent too much.

Their destination was a small mansion at the edge of a town. It looked rather old and wasn't in the best shape, its garden ragged and the white walls grey with dirt but there was something comforting about it as well.

“This is your house?” he finally broke the silence.

“Yes, it is,” Thomas replied while parking the car in the driveway. “At least one of them. We own four houses and switch between them depending on where we are stationed at. Our main house is a few hundred miles down south. Come on now, it's time you meet my mate.”

Omega Nine followed the Alpha with renewed anxiousness. Thomas seemed to be alright for an Alpha but what about his mate? Was he anything like Thomas or the usual assholes Alphas tended to be around Omega Nine?

They hadn't even reached the entrance yet when another Alpha appeared at the doorstep. Omega Nine froze instantly as he felt the power radiating from the other man and his vision blurred. He was barely able to take in the Alpha's features – blond hair, a broad, well-toned body and bright blue eyes staring back at him - before the powerful and tempting scent made the Omega's knees buckle and he tumbled onto the ground, feeling Thomas catch him in his arms.

The force of his first completely unexpected heat wave hit him hard and even when the scent of the two Alphas mingled, it couldn't completely drown out the faint memory of another smell, familiar and soothing.

Home. Love. _Marco_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since some people were asking so nicely, I decided to put all my energy into writing the new chapter as fast as possible. I hope you still enjoy this story even though this chapter is more like a filler.

 

 

**Chapter 3**

 

_Robert felt it coming several days beforehand. He could pick up on the subtle changes in his body and scent but was unable to place them, dismissing them as him developing a slight fever. He was feeling too hot and a bit dizzy, but ignored those symptoms in favor of going about his daily routine. As soon as he had finished eating breakfast, he joined his sister Milena in the living room where she was trying to rock her three months old son back to sleep._

“ _Good morning, baby brother,” she greeted him with a teasing smile, her voice barely audible over the jarring crying of the boy._

_Robert sat down on the couch next to her and took the little baby from her. “What’s wrong, Janek, what did your mommy do this time?”_

_Milena shoved his shoulder hard. “Hey, stop blaming me! It’s not my fault that he wants to sleep through the whole day. You know I have to leave in half an hour, so I had to wake him up.”_

“ _You could leave him with me,” Robert offered. “I don’t have to be anywhere else today and it’s been ages since I had some quality time with my favorite nephew.”_

“ _He is your only nephew,” Milena reminded him dryly, but Robert wasn’t really listening any longer, pressing the baby against his chest and starting to hum low under his breath. The wailing subsided instantly as Janek listened to the melody. After a few moments he closed his eyes and buried his head in Robert’s chest as though he found the scent comforting._

“ _How do you always do that?” Milena asked with a hint of frustration. “I’m his mother, not you.”_

“ _Perhaps it is the melody,” Robert replied. “I used to hum you to sleep with it during your pregnancy, remember?”_

“ _Of course I do,” Milena said before leaning against him, her head dropping to his shoulder. “Your voice was the only thing that seemed to calm that little rascal down and give me a few hours of peaceful sleep. Seems like things haven’t changed much. Or you’re just good with children.”_

_Before Robert could reply, the doorbell rang and Milena stood up instantly. “I’ll go get it.” Robert stared after her as she crossed the room before he gently stroked Janek’s head with his free hand. Milena returned with a knowing smile and when Robert saw the man following her, he couldn’t help but smile as well._

_It was Marco._

_He stopped for a moment, an affectionate smile appearing on his face as he watched Robert with the baby. “Why do you always hold him whenever I come over? Now I’m really jealous.”_

_Robert chuckled in amusement before standing up with the boy on his arm and reaching out with his free hand for the blond. “It’s not my fault that he likes me so much.”_

“ _I can’t blame him,” Marco replied before linking his arms behind Robert’s back and leaning forward to kiss him softly. Robert’s eyes fell shut and he pressed closer, enjoying the feel of Marco’s body against his own._

_There was a cough from the side before Milena announced. “I will leave you two alone now. No sex while my baby is present.”_

_Marco broke away, his cheeks flushing pink from embarrassment. “We haven’t even presented yet, so we have never-“_

“ _Have fun, boys,” Milena cut him off with a wide smile before disappearing through the front door._

“ _And here I was thinking Betas are the levelheaded ones,” Marco muttered under his breath and Robert grinned again before grabbing the hem of the younger one’s shirt and pulling him forward while he sat down on the couch so that Marco was straddling his lap. Then he turned his head back to Janek who was watching them quietly._

_When the two men were only staring at him, he let out a soft cry and Marco shook his head disbelievingly. “Is your nephew trying to encourage us or what else is he doing?”_

“ _He wants me to touch him more,” Robert explained while letting go of Marco and pulling the baby tightly against his chest. “Apparently he finds it comforting.”_

_Marco looked torn between amusement and disapproval. “Now I’m really starting to get jealous.” Despite his words he smiled and stroked softly over the baby’s head. Janek turned his head towards him, regarding him with a sleepy look before babbling approvingly._

“ _He likes you too,” Robert noted with surprise. “If Milena sees this, she will kill us both.”_

_Marco chuckled before a yearning look appeared on his face. “I would really like to have children one day.”_

“ _Me too. And we will find a way,” Robert promised him without hesitation. “There are enough possibilities, no matter if we present as Alphas or Betas. We could adopt children or let an Omega help us. You know, if we both present as Alphas we will most likely have to take an Omega’s help either way.”_

_Marco’s answering growl made Janek flinch and whimper irritated. “Not going to happen. I’d rather submit to you during sex every single time of my life than ever watch you take another person.”_

_The admission made Robert’s heart clench because he felt exactly the same. But as soon as they had presented, they might think differently about this matter. “Let’s not talk about this now. If only one of us presents as a Beta, we will never have to deal with this problem.” He reached up to let his fingers trace Marco’s jawbone, feeling the smoothness of his skin. “I love you, Marco. And no matter what happens, nothing is going to change that.”_

_Marco smiled and carefully pushed against Robert’s chest until the latter was lying sprawled over the couch with the baby on his chest and his future mate sitting on top of him. “You’re mine, Robert. You have always been mine.”_

“ _And I always will be,” Robert reassured him before kissing Marco again and this time they didn’t part. They kissed tenderly, their tongues dancing playfully with each other and it was only Janek’s cry of protest that made them stop._

_Robert pushed Marco back and sat up, rubbing his face against the boy’s to soothe him. “Seems like he is the jealous one now.”_

_When he didn’t receive a response, he turned to Marco and froze upon seeing the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”_

“ _I don’t know” Marco responded and he blinked a few times, but his eyes stayed focused on Robert, his pupils dilated. “You smell so good.”_

“ _We have known each other since we were four years old and you only noticed that now?” Robert retorted amusedly._

“ _No, you smell… I don’t know, differently,” Marco mumbled before he leaned down. For a moment Robert thought he was going to kiss Janek’s forehead, but instead his lips ghosted over the neckline of Robert’s shirt. “So sweet.” The tip of his tongue flickered over the skin, making Robert gasp in surprise. “Delicious.” Then Marco started to lick him a few times and the action sent a pleasant shiver down Robert’s spine. The dizziness became stronger and Robert could feel himself getting hard, but there was something else, a feeling linked to his arousal that he couldn’t quite place. Marco moaned. “Your smell…” He let go of Robert’s throat, but only to move down towards his thighs, pulling the latter’s jeans down over his legs. When his fingers hooked under the waistband of his underwear, Robert let out a growl._

“ _Marco, you’re not going to blow me when my nephew is watching us.”_

“ _Not going to blow you,” Marco mumbled and he sounded as though he was well past the stage of reasoning, his voice sounding ridiculously happy. “Wanna lick you.”_

_The same moment the strange feeling returned and it was then that Robert could finally make sense of what was happening. His blood ran cold and he sat up so sudden that he almost threw Marco off the couch, the sudden movement making the baby cry out again._

“ _No,” he whispered horrified._

_Marco froze at his tone. “Robert? What is it? I’m sorry if I have gone too far, I have no idea what came over me.”_

_But Robert could barely hear him, his shock drowning out all signs of arousal. “No, this can’t be happening, it just can’t!”_

_Marco reached out for him, but Robert scrambled back, bringing as much distance between himself and the other man as possible, tightening his hold on Janek who was staring at him with wide eyes as though he could sense Robert’s distress._

“ _What’s wrong, Robert? Please talk to me,” Marco pleaded and Robert took a deep breath before reaching down with his hand to touch his entrance._

_Marco frowned but when Robert pulled his hand back, his fingers wet and glistening with slick, realization dawned on his face and he paled. “Is that…? No, it can’t be!”_

“ _I’m going into heat,” Robert whispered and his vision was blurred from the tears in his eyes, so he closed them to keep them inside. “I’m an Omega.”_

 

It wasn’t Robert who opened his eyes again but Omega Nine.

He was drenched in sweat and feeling too hot, his body trembling with need. He was lying in a comfortable bed, several pillows around him and the thin blanket thrown to the ground. It was early evening judging by the fading light of the sunset coming in through the open window. For a moment he wondered if this was another dream because he should be lying on the small cot of his cell, but then he remembered.

The Alpha. His offer. Leaving the cell. The collar. Another Alpha. Darkness.

Omega Nine shuddered and he realized why he had dreamed of this memory. Because the moment he had seen Thomas' mate, he had gone into heat.

He closed his eyes again, trying to stifle the burning pain in his lower body and succumb to sleep again, but that was of course to no avail. Omega Nine had spent every single one of his heats alone and knew the next few days would be horrible. But that was something he was used to because in the past two years the intervals between his heats had decreased drastically and he was now going into heat almost every three weeks as though his body was forcing him to accept help.

This one still felt different though. Not only had it come completely unexpected, it also had come so forcefully. It was only the first day yet he felt like he was already reaching the peak of his heat, his body desperately craving for an Alpha to come and end his misery.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and Thomas appeared in the room. Omega Nine tensed up immediately, suddenly more aware of the collar around his neck. This was his Alpha now and his Omega was in heat. It wasn’t hard to guess why he had come here…

Thomas disposed the neatly folded clothes he had been carrying on the chair next to the bed before sitting down on the mattress. “How are you feeling, Robert?”

The softness of his voice made goosebumps appear on the Omega’s skin and he pressed his eyes tightly together to fight against the pleasant burn Thomas’ proximity aroused in him. “Like a whore.”

“You’re a young and healthy Omega,” Thomas reminded him. “Going into heat is nothing you should feel ashamed of, it’s part of who you are. Just like it’s part of who I am that I have ruts every now and then.”

“I’m not ashamed of being an Omega or my heats,” Omega Nine argued. “I’m ashamed because it was your mate who triggered it. My heats have never again been triggered by anyone else since my very first one.”

He flinched when Thomas reached out to touch his shoulder but relaxed again when the innocent touch lessened some of his pain. “He may be my mate, but he is your Alpha as well now, so I’m not blaming you for desiring him if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Omega Nine shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I’m blaming myself.”  
Thomas frowned. “Why?”

For a long moment Omega Nine contemplated whether to tell Thomas the truth he had kept inside of him for so long now. He didn’t want to share his secret with anybody, least of all an Alpha, but Thomas had been kinder to him than he could have ever hoped for. Maybe he would understand.

“Long before I presented as an Omega, I devoted myself to somebody else. We knew each other for so long and we were so sure we would always get to stay together. He was the only one I ever wanted, the only one I actually wanted to share my heat with in all those years I have been imprisoned. I promised myself that he would be the only one who would get to claim me. And here I am, going into heat for somebody else.”

Thomas appeared thoughtful after his confession, his hand absentmindedly stroking Robert’s shoulder. “What was his name?”

“Marco,” Omega Nine replied and he shuddered when he realized that this was the first time in seven years that he had spoken his lover’s name out loud.

To his confusion Thomas let go of him and stood up, determination visible in his eyes. “This explains your aggressive attitude towards Alphas I guess. Thank you for telling me this. I promise neither I nor my mate will force you to do anything you don’t want. But we won’t let you suffer either.” He pointed towards the chair. “I got you some new clothes in case you want to change into something more comfortable. You know, since you are currently soaked in sweat and you’re… well, you’re basically…”

He was struggling with words, a blush appearing on his face that made Omega Nine grin despite the awkward situation. “Lying in my own slick?” he supplied helpfully.

Thomas blushed even deeper. “Yes, that. And please don’t remind me, it’s bad enough that I can smell it.”

Until yesterday Omega Nine would have responded with a warning growl, but to his own surprise he found the thought of Thomas getting aroused by his slick but not being allowed to touch him far too amusing. “This turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“I’m really sorry,” Thomas replied sheepishly. “I’m just an Alpha, you know. But I promise to be decent.”

Omega Nine snorted. “No offense, Thomas, but I don’t set much store by an Alpha’s promise.” When he saw a soft, almost affectionate smile appear on the Alpha’s face, he added, “Why are you smiling?”

“Because this is the first time you called me by my name.”

The Omega hadn’t even realized that. “Don’t let it go to your head, Alpha!” he threatened playfully but it was accompanied by a pained wince when he felt the next wave of his heat roll through his body.

Thomas looked down at him with sympathy. “Look, Robert, I won’t touch you unless you ask me to. But as you know I have bought Omegas before, so I know how to deal with them. I could help you through your heat without taking you, as could my mate.”

“No!” Omega Nine snarled instantly, the mere thought of finding pleasure with somebody else than Marco feeling like a betrayal.

He bit his lip, feeling guilty when he watched Thomas leave the room without another word. What happened to Omega Nine wasn’t his fault and it was unfair to take his anger out on the Alpha.

With a sigh he got up from the bed and walked over to the open door leading to the attached bathroom. There he started to undress himself before getting into the shower and trying to relax under the spray of water. He tried to take his time while his thoughts were drifting to Marco and he recalled the intoxicating feel of his body when he had been sitting in Omega Nine’s lap, but he was already so deep into his heat phase that it took an embarrassingly short time until he came.

Like always it left him feeling numb and cold, but at least the painful edge had dulled a bit and he could focus on washing his hair and rubbing the almond-scented shower gel over his body, careful to stay away from the wounds on his back.

When he was done and had toweled himself off, he put on the clothes Thomas had brought for him, glad that they were soft and very comfortable. He was very tempted to lie down on his bed again and shut out the whole world, but the guilt for his little outburst was still nagging at him and so he left his room in search for his Alpha.

He walked down the stairs of the small entrance hall and was just about to turn to the left where he could pick up on the scent of delicious smelling food when he heard unfamiliar voices coming from the front door.

He could smell Thomas as well as another Omega and instantly he froze, remembering Thomas’ words from earlier, that he was used to dealing with Omegas in heat. He bared his teeth to a low hiss and before he could think about what he was doing, he had crossed the distance between them, suddenly finding himself at the threshold and staring at his Alpha embracing another Omega.

The latter was a few years younger than Omega Nine and also half a head smaller, with short light brown hair and green eyes. And most importantly he smelled desirable and healthy unlike Omega Nine did which only fueled his anger.

 _Jealousy,_ the voice in his head corrected but he chose to ignore it.

Both men turned towards him in surprise and Thomas’ eyes lit up for a moment before he seemed to remember about their dispute and his expression became wary.

Omega Nine narrowed his eyes at the young Omega while speaking to his Alpha, “Who is he?”

“This is Joshua, one of our former Omegas,” Thomas announced. “I told him about you on the phone and since he is not living far away, he decided to come by and help you.” After a moment of hesitation he added quieter, “Since you won’t allow an Alpha to help you.”

Joshua smiled before coming over towards him and pulling him into a tight hug. Omega Nine stiffened, a warning sneer escaping his throat instinctively. To his surprise the younger man didn’t even flinch but kept embracing Omega Nine. “You have gone years without any real touching, Robert. I understand that you need some time to get used to that again. Touching doesn’t always bring pain or humiliation, remember?”

Omega Nine didn’t respond but he didn’t push Joshua away either. The kid was only trying to help and besides, it did feel kind of good to touch him. He was nothing like an Alpha, his smell soothing rather than arousing and so Omega Nine eventually returned the embrace. It was only then that he noticed the mark on Joshua’s neck. “You are mated?”

“Yes, I am,” Joshua confirmed in a proud voice. “Thomas was the Alpha who bought me two years ago, after a few months of staying with him and his mate, I fell in love with a Beta and now I am his.”

Omega Nine frowned and focused on the bite. It was at the exact spot where the strap of a collar should be digging into the flesh. A claim. Upon closer inspection he could see that the skin around Joshua’s throat was reddened and he realized that the latter must have definitely worn an expensive high-tech collar at some point. Not the outdated leather strap that Omega Nine was wearing which was more of a show-off than actual protection but a metal collar that had fused with his skin and later been removed.

“What happened to your collar?”

However the answer came from the slightly taller Beta approaching them who could only be Joshua’s mate judging by the scent slightly similar to the one clinging to the mating bite. “He has got my mating bite now, that’s an even better deterrent than the best collar. That mark shows everybody they should better keep their paws to themselves or I will rip them to shreds.”

Omega Nine felt the ghost of a smile spreading on his face because it sounded a lot like what Marco would have said. “You’re very possessive for a Beta.”

The stranger shrugged. “I am a mate. We are all possessive, no matter if we are Alpha, Beta or Omega.”

Joshua let go of Omega Nine and rolled his eyes. “I think he has got the point, Julian. Can we go inside now? I'm starving.”

Thomas chuckled amusedly. “You know where the kitchen is, Jo.” When the couple had entered the house, he finally turned to face Omega Nine with visible wariness. “You should eat something too. Soon you won't have any appetite at all.”

He was right, but Robert needed to speak his mind first. Meeting Joshua and Julian had unsettled him, but also gave him hope that Thomas might adhere to the promise he had made in the prison. “When I find Marco again, will you truly let me go with him? Will you take my collar off and allow me to become his only?”

Thomas met his gaze for a long moment before replying, “If he mates you, then yes, I will give up all claim of ownership.” He took a step closer, a dark glint in his eyes when he raised his hand to touch the Omega's cheek lightly. “But for now I'm convinced that you love him more than he deserves.”

Omega Nine let out a loud growl and batted Thomas' hand away harshly. “You have no right to insult him, Alpha!”

“Yes, I do! You're my Omega now and it hurts me to see what years of imprisonment and torture have done to your soul. If his feelings for you were as deep as you believe then Marco should have come for you years ago. Instead he abandoned you. I will never forgive him for that.”

He had barely finished speaking when Omega Nine had slapped his face hard, the force of the impact making the Alpha stumble back and his cheek turning red. The action surprised the Omega as much as Thomas and he took a step back when he realized what he had done. But he couldn't bring himself to regret it, his heart still filled with anger.

Without another word he turned around as well and ran back into the house, ignoring his hunger completely. Instead he took two stairs at a time in his haste to get back into his own room, slamming the door behind himself and throwing himself onto the mattress. He was boiling with anger because of Thomas' unfounded assumptions but at the same time doubt and misery were growing in his heart. There had to be a reason why Marco hadn't come for him like he had promised, right? A reason other than Marco falling in love with somebody else. Because Omega Nine had no idea if he would ever be able to cope with that.

There was a knock at the door and Omega Nine tensed, certain that it was Thomas again. However it was a different Alpha coming into his room, the same one that had triggered the Omega's heat. The moment he entered and his rich, powerful scent filled the room, Omega Nine's abdomen clenched and instantly he could feel the slick leaking from his hole. It hadn't been a coincidence, he was actually reacting to the Alpha like a man to a siren's call.

“Leave me alone!” he hissed with all the hatred he could muster, but the expression in those light blue eyes didn't change in the slightest.

Instead the Alpha closed the door behind himself and stepped closer until he was standing at the edge of the bed, the proximity making Omega Nine's head spin. “No, Robert. I won't leave just because you are too stubborn to accept help. I will stay here until you finally talk to me and we have worked things out.”

Omega Nine wanted to argue, but the Alpha had already sat down at the edge of the bed, his hand reaching out to touch the former's neck right above the collar. It was a strangely intimate touch and Omega Nine let out a loud moan at the sensations flooding him. It had been so long since he had last been touched like this and he instinctively tilted his head back to encourage the Alpha while he was getting hard again. He shook his head, shame filling him when he realized that he was losing the fight against his body; that he was submitting to this Alpha even though he had sworn to himself that no one but Marco would ever have him. His voice was barely more than a whisper when he asked horrified, “What's happening to me?”

“That's why we need to talk,” the Alpha responded. “Because I assure you there is a reason for the way you are responding to me. Why you are drawn to me despite your love for another.”

The Omega turned his head away. “Thomas told you about Marco?”

The Alpha chuckled softly. “He had to after I saw you slapping him. Because if he hadn't given me a damn good reason for your disrespectful behavior, I wouldn't have come up here just to talk, that much I can assure you, Robert.”

Omega Nine bit his lip. “I'm sorry for hurting your mate.”

The Alpha smiled fondly and it made his already handsome face look even more attractive, sending a wave of longing through the Omega's body. “I can't blame you, I guess, Thomas shouldn't have been so blunt. But you have to understand our point as well. You are our Omega now and we can't stand to see you suffering.”

There was nothing but honesty in his eyes and Omega Nine gave in to the urge to touch his jaw. “I don't even know your name yet.”

The Alpha's smile widened. “It's Jakub, but most people prefer to call me Kuba.”

“I'm not most people,” Omega Nine told him before adding, “So Jakub, let us talk.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to stop making any predictions about the length of this story, it has turned out to be way too unpredictable.  
> This chapter was supposed to include a bit more, but it already contained so much and felt so different from what I want to write next that I decided to stop here and post the chapter now. It is just Robert and Kuba talking, but it still is an important chapter which will finally shed light on Robert reacting so strongly to Kuba. I'm afraid not everyone will like the explanation, but I thought it a nice twist to this story and the world I created here.  
> The next chapter will take me a longer time to write though, as I have some stories of my favorite authors to comment on.

 

 

**Chapter 4**

 

Omega Nine watched silently as Jakub stretched out alongside him, but he couldn’t help a soft groan escaping his throat at having the powerful Alpha so close. He focused his gaze on the mating bite adorning Jakub’s throat, hoping the reminder of Thomas’ claim would help him to rule in his desire, but Jakub wasn’t exactly helpful.

“You are allowed to touch me, Robert,” he encouraged the Omega softly. “Thomas and I only want to help you, so you are free to touch me whenever and how often you like as long as you are still in heat.”

Omega Nine didn’t respond apart from putting his arms around himself to keep himself from reaching out for the Alpha.

Jakub sighed. “You know, talking goes both ways. Let’s play a little game. You tell me something about your past and in return I will tell you something about mine. How does that sound?”

That suggestion instantly sparked Omega Nine’s curiosity. He had already told Thomas about Marco, so it shouldn’t be such a big deal to give Jakub a few more details. And he really wanted to know more about the intriguing Alpha.  
“What would you like to know?” he asked and felt pride form in his chest when he saw the pleased expression on Jakub’s face.

“Whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me. How about your family?”

“My parents both were Alphas living in Warsaw. They met each other at a friend’s party and quickly discovered they shared the same interests. They formed a mating bond after two years of being together and another five years later they decided to have a child. Since Alpha women rarely get pregnant, they decided to adopt a baby girl named Milena. Three years later our mother became pregnant with me though.”

He paused to carefully watch Jakub who was absentmindedly stroking the Omega’s arm. “If you were born in Poland, how did you end up in an Omega storehouse in Germany?”

“My father died when I was four years old and my mother wanted to start anew. At a place where she wouldn't be constantly reminded of her loss. She had a close friend in Germany, so she eventually decided to move there with us.”

Jakub nodded, his hand never stopping its soothing strokes while he began telling his own story. “I come from a family of soldiers. My fathers - both of them Omegas - died in the great war between Alphas and Omega eight years ago, so there was nothing left to keep me there.”

Omega Nine raised his head to get a better look at Jakub's face. The Alpha looked thoughtful rather than sad, most likely because of the many years that had passed by. Time had stopped the bleeding of his wound but it would never go away, Omega Nine knew that better than anyone else. Jakub had merely learned to hide the pain behind a mask. “I am very sorry to hear that,” he said and he truly meant it. “I was still a young boy when my father died, but I still miss him. I miss the hole he has left in our family. I may not remember him too well, but my mother and sister do. I can't imagine what it is like to lose both parents.” He hesitated for a moment but then he reached out for the Alpha, carefully touching his face. Jakub’s eyes snapped up to meet his own, but he didn’t move, allowing the Omega to test the waters.

Omega Nine traced Jakub’s jawline with his thumb, feeling the stubble before moving down to the vulnerable skin of his throat. He stilled though when his eyes landed on the mating bite. With how close he was to Jakub right now, he could see that there were very recent teeth marks on the wound.

As though sensing the unspoken question, Jakub told him, “Thomas’ doing. When you went into heat yesterday, he had to tear me away from you violently. Not that he was off much better, but I still owe him an apology, I guess.”

“Why?” Omega Nine asked confused.

Jakub closed his eyes and he sounded and looked smaller and less confident, regret written all over his face. “We are two Alphas, remember? Our relationship can only work because of mutual trust and respect. One of the most important things is that we never force the other one to submit. An Omega is strong enough to take that without breaking and he can also forgive his mate for that. But an Alpha needs to be in the right space of mind to submit to his mate. When you went into heat, both Thomas and I wanted to claim not submit.” He swallowed hard and without thinking Omega Nine shifted closer, barely an inch of space left between them. He was stroking Jakub’s throat softly, silently reassuring him. The Alpha took a deep breath before continuing, “We should have let our Omega help us, that is what we always do when we are both having a rut simultaneously. He could have made it here within a few hours. But I wasn’t thinking rationally and all I wanted was to take Thomas, so that’s what I did. I don’t think he was very surprised by what happened, he knows me too well. I have always been the more dominant one of us, so there was only one way this was going to end.”

Omega Nine felt sympathy for Thomas, but also for Jakub. He had always thought being the more dominant one was a blessing, but now he realized this wasn’t always the case. Being the more dominant Alpha meant that Jakub couldn’t submit to his mate as often as he most likely wanted to and it must pain him as much as Thomas. Omega Nine had always thought that an Alpha couple merely bought themselves an Omega to have an easy hole to fuck when they both were in the mood for some fun. But now he was starting to realize that he might have been wrong. The Alphas bought an Omega to avoid hurting their mates by forcing them into submission. It was not about having fun with a random Omega but about protecting their mate.

Omega Nine felt the guilt growing in his heart when he realized that he was the reason why Jakub had hurt Thomas. His heat had affected Jakub so badly that he had lost control and hurt his mate because there had been no Omega present who could have helped him. Apart from Omega Nine.

And judging by what Jakub had just told him, Thomas had taken on what would have been his responsibility under different circumstances. And despite this the Alpha had still cared about Omega Nine, brought him spare clothes and even called Joshua for help. He had been nothing but kind.

“I shouldn’t have slapped Thomas,” he admitted ruefully. “But why didn’t he tell me what happened? I had no idea.”

“We didn’t want you to know,” Jakub replied instantly. “You already had enough to deal with and we didn’t want to scare you further by telling you what an effect you have on me.”

Omega Nine let that sink for a moment. He had never considered that Jakub might be affected by his mere presence as well. “Did it help to claim Thomas? Or do you still want to take me?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t do that,” Jakub told him instantly.

“That’s not what I asked you,” Omega Nine said and if he hadn’t been so afraid of the answer, he would have been amused by how strongly the situation reminded him of his talk with Thomas yesterday in the car.

Jakub was silent for so long that Omega Nine almost suspected he wasn’t going to get an answer at all. But then Jakub’s hand moved to the back of his neck, his grip there just tight enough to show his possessiveness but still giving the Omega the possibility to free himself. But Omega Nine didn’t. He didn’t move back when Jakub leaned forward until the tip of his nose was brushing against his cheek and not even when he saw the deep red at the edges of the Alpha’s iris, a raw edge to his voice when he finally responded. “I want you, Robert. I wanted you so badly that I hurt my mate for it and I still want you so much that I know I can’t stay even an hour longer in this house without losing my mind.” The glowing red grew stronger, only a slim edge of blue remaining at the corners. “I’m burning with desire, Robert. I’m burning for you even though I love Thomas. If I didn’t know the reason for it, I would hate you for the way you make me feel.”

Omega Nine’s heart beat faster but it was because of anticipation not fear. This was it, the moment of truth. “And what is the reason?”

There was a moment of loaded silence before the Alpha announced, “Because you are the Omega gem.”

Omega Nine was sure he had misheard Jakub. “I’m what?”

“The Omega gem,” Jakub repeated patiently. “You are an Omega born to two Alphas. That never happens, you know that as well. The Beta allele is the only dominant one of the three, so an Omega always has to have two Omega alleles and an Alpha two Alpha alleles. Which means both your parents would have needed to be Omegas as well to create an Omega child like you are. Yet your parents are Alphas. The Alpha allele is recessive as well, so both of your parents have two Alpha alleles and they could only pass on an Alpha allele each.”

Omega Nine’s eyes widened when he realized what Jakub was hinting at. “So my body can only have two Alpha alleles, one from my mother and the other from my father. Which would make me an Alpha as well.”

“Exactly,” Jakub agreed. “You were always supposed to be an Alpha. However in the last five centuries there have been a handful of documented cases of two Alphas birthing an Omega as well as two Omegas birthing an Alpha. They are called ‘gems’ and are the specter of science because no one has found an explanation for their existence yet. And you are an Omega gem, Robert.”

Omega Nine was at a loss of words, taking in all this new information. He was supposed to be an Alpha. “So I was born with two Alpha alleles and they later shifted into Omega alleles?”

Jakub shook his head. “No. There have been tests on the last documented case of an Omega gem and even after that one had presented, the DNA test still showed two Alpha alleles. The same should be the case with you. You’re an Alpha who presented as an Omega.”

Omega Nine felt as though he had been on the rack. He was an Alpha, just like he had always hoped to be. “Are you sure there is no other possibility to explain why I am an Omega?”

Jakub chuckled. “You mean other than one of your parents having been unfaithful?”

Omega Nine growled threateningly. “Be careful how you talk about my parents, Jakub.”

The Alpha grinned before getting serious again. “Have you ever been drawn to another Omega since you presented, Robert?”

Omega Nine frowned in confusion at the strange question. “I'm not sure. As you know I have been imprisoned for all this time and the visitors I got were mostly Alphas and the occasional Beta.”

“And when you were in heat?” Jakub asked. “Your senses were heightened, so you must have been very aware of the Omegas in the cells next to you.”

“Of course I was attracted to them. I was in heat, I was yearning to be taken and claimed by anyone.”

The Alpha didn't seem entirely convinced though. “So you were attracted to the Beta guards too then?”

“No!” Omega Nine objected immediately. “Of course I wasn't. They liked seeing me in pain, there was no reason for me to be attracted to monsters like them.”

“That's not how heats work and you know that. You can't choose not to want someone's cock inside of you. You should only be attracted to Alphas or if you were very desperate, to anyone without exceptions.”

That made scarily much sense. “So you're saying that I was attracted to the other Omegas in the facility because I was born as an Alpha?”

Jakub smiled and he moved his hand up to the Omega's lips, the touch of his calloused fingers at the sensitive skin there irritatingly arousing. “Deep down you still are an Alpha. You are an Alpha who has presented as an Omega.”

Omega Nine didn't speak for several moments, trying to come to terms with what he had just heard. He closed his eyes and leaned into Jakub's hand, drawing strength from the comforting touch. “How do you know all of this?”

There was no response and only when he opened his eyes and met Jakub's gaze did the Alpha finally speak, his expression guarded. “I told you that both my parents were Omegas.”

He didn't speak further, but there was no need to. Omega Nine froze when he understood what Jakub was trying to tell him, a revelation that took him by total surprise. “You are an Alpha gem?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a side note: If a person was to have two recessive alleles which are not compatible with each other - meaning an Alpha and an Omega allele - they would fuse into a Beta gen. Which is part of the reason why around two thirds of the world's population are Betas. It wasn't important for Kuba's explanation which is why I decided not to mention it; there was already enough science to make your head spin. Mine certainly did when I was spending my lunch break writing down all possible gene combinations for Alphas, Betas and Omegas which earned me very worried glances from my chattering colleagues. ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for taking so long with the update, I had a very hard time writing lately.  
> This chapter was supposed to contain more, but the mood changed into a direction where I thought it better to let it end here and save the rest for next time. Please let me know what you think of it. :-)

 

 

**Chapter 5**

 

“Yes, Robert,” Jakub replied. “I am an Alpha gem.”

The imagination was totally surreal, everything about it sounding completely wrong to Omega Nine. That the man lying beside him, the man whose powerful aura and dark scent made him feel weak with desire, was an Omega somewhere deep down.

Carefully he reached out to let his fingers trace over the stubble on Jakub’s jaw and then down his neck, trying to find one of the typical Omega traits, trying to detect some form of softness underneath the firm muscles. But everything about Jakub’s body was Alpha-like, his body brimming with strength and dominance. “Does anybody know about this?”

Jakub shook his head. “No, Thomas was the only one I told the truth about my true nature.” The look in his eyes was so intense that Omega Nine couldn’t look away even if he had wanted to. “And now you.”

“Why did you tell me? I haven’t done anything to deserve your trust in me,” Omega Nine said, remembering what his heat did to these two Alphas, especially Thomas.

“Take it as a leap of faith. You deserved to know the truth and that you don’t have to feel guilty for being attracted to me. You and I are both Alpha and Omega and that is why both sides of you feel drawn to me. It is a different kind of connection than the bond you share with Marco and there is no need for you to feel guilt for something that is beyond your power.”

His words soothed Omega Nine slightly, but he still shook his head. “What you told me explains why my body is yearning for your touch so badly, but not why my heart is yearning for your love.” Jakub’s eyes widened in surprise, but Omega Nine wasn’t done yet. “You said you would hate me for the way I make you feel if you didn’t know what I was and I understand that. I understand because I hate you for the feelings you arouse in me.” He was barely aware of his fingers tightening around Jakub’s arm until his grip must be painful. “I hate you for finding a way into my heart, Jakub. I promised it to Marco many years ago and now your mere presence calls to me.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking out loud what he had been shoving away until now. “I want you. I want you to touch me, to take me, to claim me. And I hate you so much for doing this to me.”

He met Jakub’s gaze for several long seconds and somehow it didn’t surprise him that the Alpha still didn’t get angry but smiled. “If you really hate me that much, your feelings for me must go deeper than I anticipated. But right now it is overshadowed by the burning pain and desire of your heat, Robert. We will have to clench those flames first before we get to explore how deep your love for me is.”

Omega Nine growled warningly. “I may be falling for you, but I will never break the promise I made years ago. Marco will be the only one who gets to take me and I will fight off everyone trying to force themselves on me. Including you, Jakub.”

“I know,” Jakub replied but despite his words, his hand traced down Omega Nine’s chest and stomach, undoing the buttons of his shirt before moving to the side and gripping the exposed hip. Omega Nine managed to keep his aroused moan inside, but the shiver wrecking his body betrayed him.

Jakub tilted his head amusedly. “I respect the promise you made to Marco far too much to make you break it. As I said, my relationship with my mate can only work because of mutual trust between us, so I would never do anything that would make you lose your trust in me. But you need someone to touch you and you also need to find release. I will see to it that you get both of it without you having to break your vow.”

“And how are you going to achieve that?” Omega Nine asked challengingly.

“Well, I will give you two options,” Jakub replied. “Option number one is Joshua. Thomas called him because he believes another Omega touching you won’t upset you as much as if it was an Alpha doing it. And Joshua is already mated, so there is no way his desire for your Alpha side will make him do something that cannot be undone.”

Omega Nine had almost forgotten what a risk Joshua would be taking if he got intimate with him. That being an Omega gem meant that not only Alphas but also Omegas would feel drawn to him.

“And option number two?”

A predatory look entered Jakub’s eyes. “You allow either me or Thomas to help you. Or both of us.”

The suggestion didn’t surprise Omega Nine at all, but the mere thought of allowing either of the two Alphas to pleasure him was simply too overwhelming, no matter how badly his body craved for it. Too overwhelming and too scary.

“I choose Joshua then.”

There was a flicker of disappointment crossing Jakub’s face, but he was quick to rein it in, instead nodding his head in approval. “I will send him into your room then. But first I will get you something to eat, you will need your strength.”

Omega Nine sighed but nodded, knowing that the Alpha was right. Jakub got up from the bed then and the sudden distance made Omega Nine’s chest clench. As though being able to sense that, Jakub stroked up over the Omega’s exposed stomach towards his chest, a small smile curling at his lips when Omega Nine arched his back to get more of the soothing yet at the same time exciting touch. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

With that he left and Omega Nine whined at the feeling of loneliness overtaking him. He curled into himself, pressing his nose into the pillow right where Jakub’s head had just been, inhaling the dark and tempting scent of the Alpha that was still clinging to it. But it wasn’t enough, it could never be enough because he longed so badly for Jakub’s touch, he was yearning for it. Every fiber of his being was yearning for Jakub and the need to feel his touch was burning inside of Omega Nine’s body like fire.

He wasn’t aware of his screaming until all of a sudden there was a sweet scent entering his nose and a pair of arms embracing him from behind.

“Robert, please calm down, I’m here now,” a soothing voice told him and Omega Nine could barely recognize it as Joshua’s. “I’m here to make you feel better.”

But Omega Nine started to trash, freeing himself from the younger Omega’s arms because everything about it felt wrong; the scent, the touch, the voice, everything. Joshua jerked back instinctively, his eyes wide at the unexpected reaction, but what made things even worse was his sweet scent intensifying, the air in the room filling with the smell of slick. And this time it wasn’t Omega Nine’s.

Joshua was getting aroused.

Omega Nine bared his teeth to a warning hiss, feeling irritated by what was happening as well as his sudden desire to take the Omega that was lurking beneath his own need to be claimed. “Get away from me!”

Joshua let out a needy whimper but obeyed instantly, scrambling off the bed in a hurry and pressing himself against the wall, his scent stinging with rejection. Omega Nine pressed his face back into the pillow, trying to let Jakub’s scent drown out the one of the Omega while at the same time realizing that his conflicting needs were most likely due to his true nature coming to the surface. Around Jakub he felt like an Omega, around Joshua like an Alpha.

“Jo?” another voice called from the door and when Omega Nine looked up, he saw a very worried and distressed Julian standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Joshua shook his head, stepping closer to the bed again. “Robert, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m reacting this way to you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Omega Nine whispered, feeling horrified by himself as he watched Julian head for his mate, taking him into his arms and let his presence soothe the younger one. “I’m sorry, Joshua. I’m so sorry.”

Before Joshua could reply though, the room suddenly filled with two different scents and Omega Nine shivered with renewed arousal, slick already leaking from his hole even before he heard a low growl and suddenly found himself on his back with Jakub on top of him.

Omega Nine groaned as his thoughts spiraled deeper, losing sense of his surroundings apart from the man straddling him and tearing every layer of clothing from his body. Because he was the only one that could make him feel better, the power and dominance radiating from him definitely the traits of an Alpha, but there was something else underneath, lighter and sweeter. A scent that made Omega Nine buck up instantly until his rock hard cock was rubbing against the damp cleft of Jakub’s cheeks.

“Jakub, please,” he begged, his conscious narrowing down to the wonderful feeling of the Alpha moving above him, to the way they fitted together so perfectly, both sides of his nature embracing this man as his mate.

He was barely aware of the threatening snarl coming from the side, not until Jakub’s weight was suddenly gone, followed by a loud thump when the Alpha hit the ground next to the bed. Omega Nine whimpered at the loss, briefly feeling irritated as his senses got overwhelmed by Thomas’ pure Alpha nature as the latter started to undress himself as fast as possible and joining him on the bed. It did nothing to lessen his arousal, but the now awake Alpha side inside of Omega Nine recoiled and he let out a disapproving hiss. Thomas’ eyes were a glowing red as he looked down at Omega Nine and his voice was so husky from his suppressed desire that it seemed to rub over the Omega’s skin like sandpaper. “Julian, take Joshua away from here!”

The Beta obeyed instantly, pulling his mate up from the floor and pushing him towards the door. Thomas didn’t wait for him to obey when he turned towards his own mate. “You need to stop, Kuba! I know you are strong enough to fight this.”

Omega Nine finally dared to look at Jakub as well and he froze upon seeing the glowing blue in his eyes, not his natural eye color but a deeper shade that seemed just as captivating and raw as the red of an aroused Alpha. Omega Nine had never seen a more beautiful expression and he was unable to look away, pride filling him when he realized that he was the reason for this.

“He belongs to us!” Jakub argued and it sounded protective rather than dismissing, making Omega Nine realize that these two Alpha mates were fighting because of him. He grabbed Thomas’ arm and pulled him down until his lips touched the Alpha’s throat. “I need you, please,” he whispered, spreading his legs invitingly which drew a low groan from Thomas.

“Robert, stop!” he said but it sounded more like a desperate plea than an actual order.

Omega Nine’s only response was to hook his ankles behind Thomas’ back, both of them moaning in unison when Thomas’ cock rubbed against his wet hole. The Omega tilted his head back, ignoring the small part of him that was panicking at what he was doing in favor of enjoying the unfamiliar sensation. This was the first time that he wouldn’t have to suffer through his heat alone and he was too weak to keep on fighting the inevitable any longer. He wasn’t aware of Jakub having joined them on the bed until he felt his hands roaming over his side and his lips at his earlobe.

“Please,” Omega Nine begged, not sure whom of the two Alphas he was addressing, not that he cared much who of them was going to see to his release. “Just take me, please!”

Given that Jakub was as gone as he was himself, the Omega was surprised when Thomas was the one to react first, shoving his mate away even though the red in his eyes was dimming slightly, like it did when an Alpha managed to gain back control over his instincts. But instead of pulling back he finally started to rut against the Omega, making the latter gasp out loud at the friction of his cock rubbing against Thomas’ stomach. It wasn’t enough, far from enough to make him feel good but he could feel his climax approaching and that was a start.

Jakub was quietly watching them for a moment, clearly confused by the mixed signals his mate was giving off, but then he moved closer again, his hand snaking between their bodies and wrapping around the base of the Omega’s cock.

The latter let out an approving moan, but Thomas hissed angrily. “No, Kuba, he will come without that.”

Jakub pulled his hand back but responded with an angered sneer. “He is our Omega, he needs us!”

“We won’t make him break his vow just because of his heat,” Thomas responded, his voice allowing no argument while he sped up his movements, making it hard for Omega Nine to hold back and focus on this important conversation. “He would regret this the day after. And I want our Omega to break his promise for us, not for his heat. I want him to be aware of what he is doing when we claim him together.”

The possessive words of the Alpha sent Omega Nine over the edge and he arched his back as he finally found his release, covering their stomachs in white streaks. It was still tinged with the disappointment of Thomas refusing to take him, but he was far too grateful for the Alpha easing his painful desire to mind at the moment. He raised his head to look at his two Alphas upon hearing a pained whimper, just in time to see Jakub biting down on Thomas’ mating bite, the intimate touch making the younger one come as well. Instinctively he caught Thomas in his arms, his eyes never leaving Jakub’s. The Alpha hadn’t found his own release yet and the glowing blue of his iris was luring Omega Nine in, making his fingers twitch with the desire to touch him. But now that the painful edge of his heat had worn off, he realized that Thomas had been right in stopping them from crossing the line. He wasn’t ready yet for this level of intimacy, not as long as he had no idea how he fitted into this already existing relationship of the two Alphas.

Thomas shifted until he was lying beside him, his arm tightening around the Omega’s midsection before he looked at his mate. “You and Robert can’t stay in the same room together. Next time you lose control, you two might end up doing something that you will regret.” Jakub closed his eyes and it was like a spell had been lifted from Omega Nine. Thomas’ voice softened when he added, “Let me take care of you in our own bedroom, Kuba.”

Jakub looked like he wanted to agree but eventually shook his head. “No, Thomas. I appreciate that you’re trying to help me, but I already forced you into submission last night. I don’t want to hurt you like that again and right now I don’t trust myself enough to have sex with you. And we can’t leave Robert alone right now anyway, he is still suffering from his heat and he will need the constant presence of an Alpha for at least another day or two.” He approached the bed, leaning closer until he was able to cup Thomas’ face between his palms. “Stay with him until I come back.”

“Where are you going?” the younger Alpha asked confused.

“I will pay our Omega a visit. It has been a few weeks since I have last seen him and he will be able to help me more than without anybody of us getting hurt.”

Omega Nine felt a wave of jealousy at the reminder of this nameless Omega who would get to pleasure Jakub, but shoved it away. This mess was his fault and he had no right to voice his dislike. It couldn’t be easy for Thomas either, but it was necessary to make his relationship with another Alpha work.

Thomas looked thoughtful. “Erik won’t be happy to see you. You left him alone during his last heat, remember?”

“You know why I had to leave,” Jakub replied with a sigh. “They were going to kill that Omega. I had to buy him right away if I wanted to save him.”

“But Erik doesn’t know that,” Thomas replied. “All you said was that it was something important and you had to go right away.”

“Erik was so deep in his heat that he could barely think straight. He would have taken it as me preferring another Omega over him if I had told him the truth.”

“Maybe. But nevertheless he deserved to know it. I would be surprised if he let you into his house without demanding the truth, so you should think carefully what you are going to say to him.”

Jakub nodded. “He won’t like it either way, but you are right I suppose. He deserves nothing less than the truth however hard it may be to take.” He turned to look at Omega Nine. “I will come back to you as soon as I can.”

Omega Nine bit his lip to keep himself from begging Jakub to stay. He understood why the Alpha had to leave him now; that staying would mean hurting his mate even more. He watched Jakub leave the room without a word before meeting Thomas’ eyes. “I’m sorry. For the mess I dragged you into and that you can’t help your mate because of me. I wouldn’t try to stop you if you preferred to take care of Jakub first.”

“That’s very kind of you, Robert, but I can’t do that. You are our Omega and your heat is more important to both of us now. And Kuba is right, it would affect our relationship if he forced me into submission again so soon. Just like him I want to claim not submit right now, so it is better we both spend the night with an Omega instead of being together.”

Omega Nine nodded, his thoughts drifting to the Omega – Erik. “Is your Omega part of your mating bond? I’ve had the impression that it includes only the two of you and that sharing an Omega is merely a necessity.”

Thomas sighed. “I would have to give you a very complicated answer to such a simple question. He is definitely more than a necessity, but no, he is not part of our mating bond. Kuba and I have shared several Omegas since we became mates, but we are always careful to move on before that Omega becomes too attached to us. Except for this one. He was broken when we found him, more so than most other Omegas and it took him months to open to us. He needed us to find himself again and come to terms with his nature, that’s why we stayed with him longer than we perhaps should have. And by the time we realized our mistake, it was too late. He had already formed an emotional bond with us.”

Omega Nine’s eyes widened in shock. He had heard of these bonds, they sometimes happened between emotionally traumatized Omegas and their Alphas. Unlike mating bonds, they could be broken but that could take several years. “But why is that such a bad thing? You and Jakub are wonderful Alphas and you cared for your Omega. Why would you not want this bond? Shouldn’t that make it easier to include him into your already existing mating bond?”

“That’s why I said, it’s complicated,” Thomas replied, his hand absentmindedly stroking Omega Nine’s arm. “We want to mate him, but we can’t. We knew that he was in love with another Omega when we took him in yet we allowed this emotional bond to happen. Like I said, we realized our mistake too late. We should have left him sooner.”

But Omega Nine was barely listening any longer, a thought suddenly striking him. Jakub had called the Omega ‘Erik’. And Thomas just said this Erik was in love with another Omega, one that he could apparently not be with. And this house was only a one hour drive away from the Omega storehouse where Omega Nine had been held… “Nuri.”

Thomas frowned. “What about him?”

“He said his former lover’s name was Erik. It could just be a coincidence, but maybe the Erik you and Jakub were just talking about is Nuri’s lost lover.”

Thomas froze, hope entering his eyes. “You could be wrong, but then again, I don’t believe in coincidence. I will tell Kuba to ask Erik about it and if it turns out that you're right, Nuri will be the next Omega we get out of his prison cell, I promise you that.”

Omega Nine smiled and this time he was the one to bridge the distance between them, placing a short kiss onto Thomas' lips. “Thank you, Thomas. I will make it up to you one day.”

“You don't have to,” Thomas responded while shifting them until Omega Nine was almost sprawled on top of him. “You belong to us now, Robert.” He said it as though that explained everything, but it confused Omega Nine even more. How could he ever be a part of this relationship without being able to love them the way they wanted him to? “You shouldn't think like that. My heart will always belong to Marco and you promised to bring me home to him.”

“And I will keep that promise,” Thomas replied sternly. “All Kuba and I want is to see you smile and if you think Marco will make you happy, then we will help you find him in any way we can. But that doesn't change the way we feel about you.”

Omega Nine didn't argue further, knowing better than to make a stubborn Alpha change his mind. He tightened his arms around Thomas, burying his face in the crook of the latter's neck. He winced though when the mingled scents of Jakub and blood reminded him of what Thomas had had to endure. “I never intended for your mate to hurt you. I'm really sorry.”

“It's not your fault. Besides, I rather liked him getting all dominant and aggressive. We have been mated for four years now, but I have never seen him so out of control. The only thing you should perhaps feel sorry for is the furniture in our bedroom, not everything survived our fighting.” Omega Nine had to grin at the image of the two Alphas fighting their way into bed and it sent a shiver of arousal down his spine. And unsurprisingly Thomas had to notice that too. “Of course you would like that.”

He sounded amused, but Omega Nine still couldn't completely shake off his concern. “Jakub feels guilty for the way he treated you.”

“Of course he would. He loves me and sometimes he still has trouble accepting that he can't always protect me from himself.”

Omega Nine thought about Thomas' words carefully before asking, “The way I reacted to Joshua earlier was strange. I felt like an Alpha in that moment, but I have never felt this way about any Omega before. Not until I met Jakub. And now you say you have never seen him react this strongly either. Do you think it's possible that him being an Alpha gem and I an Omega gem is the reason for our strange behavior?”

“I have been thinking the same thing,” Thomas admitted. “Kuba knows more about gems than I do, but I remember that he mentioned there is a special bond between them. Why are you asking me this now?”

Omega Nine hesitated for a moment, raising his head to meet Thomas' eyes. “Because there might be a way for me to help you two. You said Jakub is the most dominant Alpha you know and that's why he doesn't like to submit. But if Jakub is able to awaken my Alpha side, then that means I am able to awaken his Omega side.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Thomas' face. “You saw what almost happened today. If you two get intimate one more time, it's possible one of us will end up taking you, Robert. And like I said, we won't make you break your promise unless you mean it.” When Omega Nine was about to protest, he added, “Sleep now. We can talk about this tomorrow evening when Kuba will have returned.”

The Omega nodded and closed his eyes, the feel of strong arms around him and Thomas' soothing scent helping him to embrace the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why a part of me felt compelled to update this story now. I always wanted to finish it one day, but only later when several of my other WIPs were finished as well.  
> I guess this is me trying to find my way back into writing after several stressful weeks. I cannot make any promises as to when I will be able to update next, but I guess this new chapter is a start. Please forgive me if there are more mistakes in it than usual, I wrote this in a haste this afternoon and honestly I'm way too exhausted to read though it again.
> 
> Unfortunately no Kuba in this chapter (which was clear from the ending of the last chapter).

 

 

**Chapter 6**

_Robert couldn’t remember very much about his father as he had only been a small child when the latter had died. His few memories were fond ones, of his father playing with him in the garden, both of them flying a kite on a golden October day, playing in the snow…_

_But Robert didn’t really remember how the relationship of his parents had been like. He had always assumed they must have had an harmonious one, seeing as Robert had never been beaten or shouted at, had never heard them doing so to each other either._

_But one day when he had been fourteen years old had made him question that for the very first time:_

_Robert, Marco and Milena were sitting in the small, cozy restaurant owned by a woman called Mary, an elderly, kind Beta who had developed a very soft spot for the three of them and oftentimes invited them over to her house. Each of them had a large plate with food in front of them and they were just arguing whose dinner was the best when loud voices from outside made them turn their heads towards the window. Robert, who was sitting the closest, could see a man and woman – both probably in their mid-thirties – arguing with each other. He could recall their faces, they had only moved here a few months ago. Both of them were Alphas, only the third Alpha-Alpha couple in town as there weren’t many of them in general. Robert had never interacted with them for that exact reason as he was the natural child of an Alpha-Alpha couple as well, something which was very rare and might invoke the jealousy of other Alpha-Alpha couples._

_He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw the man slapping his wife hard, not stopping his loud yelling in the slightest. She barely stumbled back, her face twisting in a furious sneer and her posture becoming aggressive._

_“Shouldn’t we do something to stop them?” Marco asked from beside him but Milena instantly shook her head._

_“Getting stuck between two fighting Alphas is the last thing we need right now, even less when they are lovers. Look, two policemen are already coming here to sort this out. Let them handle it.”_

_Robert watched the two Betas tear the fighting Alpha couple apart, the red in the latters’ eyes unsettling him. “I wonder why they were fighting like this in public. From what I could tell, they seemed like decent people until now.”_

_Milena shrugged. “I heard the Omega they had received as a marriage gift all these years ago had an accident last month and is in the hospital now. Perhaps it is getting too much for them, living in the same house without an Omega to take their frustrations out on. Not to mention spending their ruts without an Omega.”_

_Robert managed to tear his gaze away from the scene outside, his eyes meeting the worried gaze of his best friend beside him. “I really hope we won’t end like that if we present as Alphas. I would never want to hurt you, Marco.”_

_The blond smiled warmly and he reached out to interlace his fingers with Robert’s. “I know that, the same goes for me. We would find a way to make this work.”_

_Robert squeezed his hand in silent agreement before turning his head back to the window, watching the two Alphas getting handcuffed. They were staring at each other, apparently unable to see anything but their mate as their fury morphed into something else, the red in their iris glowing brighter with lust. And Robert knew with certainty that these two Alphas would be going into rut every moment now._

_And he wasn’t all that surprised to read a newspaper article two days later, showing a photo of the man getting arrested by several policemen with the headline ‘SMALLTOWN ALPHA ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING HIS WIFE – ALPHA WOMAN IN PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE'._

_Robert felt his heart ache as he wondered how different things might have turned out if the couple’s Omega had been there. Robert hated the system that encouraged Omega slavery with all his might but nevertheless he was not naïve enough to deny that most Alpha couples without an Omega would only hurt themselves…_

Omega Nine awoke with a loud gasp _,_ feeling disorientated by the darkness of the room. It took him a moment to get out of his memory and remember that this was years past, part of a life that seemed alien to him now. But as soon as he was back in the present, he took note of the sensations assaulting his senses.

The warmth of a body pressed against his side. The strong scent promising safety and comfort surrounding him. The slick coating his inner thighs. His half-hard cock.

Omega Nine whimpered and turned his head to the side when the body suddenly moved away, the mattress creaking as the man shifted to turn on the lamp on his nightstand.

Omega Nine blinked against the sudden brightness, taking a moment to focus on the face in front of his own. In the dim light Thomas’ eyes looked sunken in, the dark circles underneath them showing his exhaustion. This was the first time that the Omega saw the Alpha shirtless and it took him a moment to remember why Thomas’ torso was covered in long, bloody scratches and various dark bruises.

Omega Nine stilled and reached out to touch the center of Thomas’s chest hesitantly, tracing a red line over his ribs to his side. “I never meant for you to get hurt, Thomas. I’m sorry.”

Thomas smiled softly. “You don’t have to apologize, nobody expected you do anything about Kuba’s condition.”

“Why not?” Omega Nine couldn’t help asking. “I’m an Omega, I had the power to make this a pleasant experience for both of you. Instead you got hurt, perhaps in more ways than I can understand.”

He flinched instinctively when Thomas reached out to grip the back of his neck, but relaxed again when it wasn’t followed by pain. Instead Thomas leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his nose. “You needn’t be concerned about me, Robert. I have been mated to Kuba for four years now and it’s not the first time something like this has happened. Sometimes I mess up, other times he does. That’s part of who we are and we knew what we got ourselves into when we agreed to form a mating bond.”

Omega Nine nodded but the answer did nothing to calm his mind. He had always condemned Alphas for abusing Omegas, sometimes even wishing that the roles were reversed and Alphas would finally experience this horror themselves, but he had never wanted Thomas of all people to be the one to suffer. He was the kindest Alpha Robert had met until that point.

Thomas seemed to sense his thoughts because his hand shifted from the latter’s neck to his cheek, his fingers gently stroking over it. “You don’t believe me, I can see you worrying.” He hesitated before adding. “I could show you, you know.”

Omega Nine frowned. “What do you mean you can show me?”

He didn’t know what to make of the glint in Thomas’s eyes but it was surprisingly arousing, even more so when Thomas shifted their positions until Omega Nine was sprawled on top of his chest. Omega Nine winced at the pull of Thomas’s hand on his back, reminding him of the not yet healed wounds there but when the Alpha raised an eyebrow questioningly, he merely dismissed the unspoken question with a shake of his head, glad when Thomas didn’t press the matter.

Instead the Alpha tilted his head back, exposing the long curve of his throat. Omega Nine was not sure what shocked him more, an Alpha making himself so vulnerable in front of an Omega or the state of the mating bite. It was common for mates to renew these marks when they made love but it was usually done with great care. Thomas’s bite however positively looked like he had been attacked, deep teeth marks visible on the abused flesh. Omega Nine wondered how seeing this was supposed to convince him that Thomas hadn’t been abused by his mate.

What the Alpha said next made all blood drain from Omega Nine’s face. “Bite down.”

The words seemed to echo in the room, making Omega Nine feel numb. A memory was lurking at the edges of his mind, of Marco and himself fooling around – two sixteen year old boys that had not yet presented, marking each other’s throats and promising each other to always stay together.

Omega Nine fought against the memory with all his might, not willing to lose himself in a past that was irrelevant now. He blinked several times before responding. “I told you that I could never give you my heart. You can have all of me but not this.”

“I was not asking you to claim me,” Thomas replied patiently. “I respect your love for Marco too much to ever ask this of you. But this bite is the anchor of my bond with Kuba. If you want to understand our relationship and to get confirmation that he didn’t force himself on me, then you need to touch this bond.”

The Omega’s eyes drifted back to the angry red mark and he let his fingers trace over it lightly, the breathless moan the action was drawing from the Alpha underneath him reminding him that he was still in heat. Omega Nine shivered as he felt uncomfortable warmth spreading in his lower body and he became more aware of Thomas’s heady scent. “What will happen once I do?”

Thomas’s hands dropped from Omega Nine’s back down onto the mattress and it took the latter a moment to realize that the Alpha was giving him the freedom to move away, should he want to. It calmed Omega Nine immediately but the reminder that he could trust this Alpha made him yearn for his touch again. “If things become too much, I will say ‘No’. And if you promise to let me go as soon as I say that word, then I don’t mind you holding me while we do this.”

His words made Thomas smile widely and his hands returned to Omega Nine’s back, a sense of possessiveness in the way he wrapped them around the latter’s torso  and brought their faces closer together. Omega Nine was struck by the sudden wish to lean in and kiss those lips but he blamed it on his heat, shifting his attention to the mating bite instead. Now that the Omega was seeing it up so close, he felt an unfamiliar compulsion as though the mark was calling out for him and carefully he brought his mouth to it, not sure how to proceed without crossing a line. The mark smelled strongly of Jakub, the combined scents of the two Alphas so tempting that Omega Nine groaned at the heat spreading through his body. His hole was leaking again, yearning to be filled and the delicious Alpha scents were making his head spin. He felt dizzy, the only thing that he could focus on was Thomas as he became hyperaware of every point where they touched, the arms holding him as well as his own half-hard cock trapped between their stomachs. Without thinking Omega Nine flicked his tongue over the rough edges of the wound and with a surprised yelp Thomas bucked up. “Aargh!”

Thomas’s hands had shifted to grip his hips as he struggled to maintain control, but to his own surprise Omega Nine felt no fear. He was too gone to form coherent thoughts, all he was able to feel was safe. He felt safe in Thomas’s arms.

The realization that an Alpha managed to make him feel safe would sink in much later, for now Omega Nine reveled in it, words leaving his mouth of their own accord. “I need you, Alpha. Please, I need you so much.”

A possessive growl came from Thomas and suddenly there were long fingers circling the Omega’s wet entrance. Omega Nine stilled at the unfamiliar feeling of being touched at this spot by an Alpha. Only doctors had touched him there during his worst heats but it had only ever been with clinical interest and left him feeling ashamed and irritated. Thomas’s touch however went straight to his cock and with a moan he moved down to take in the Alpha’s fingers. But Thomas drew back his hand immediately, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Is this okay?”

Omega Nine growled which caused Thomas to shiver in arousal. “Did you hear me say ‘No’?”

Thomas’s hand returned immediately, his index finger carefully probing the Omega’s entrance. Omega Nine hid his face against Thomas’s throat to keep his sounds of pleasure inside as he tried to relax around the finger and coming to terms with the unfamiliar intrusion. He could feel Thomas’ turn his head towards him before Thomas whispered. “Has anyone ever done this to you, Robert?” When the Omega shook his head, he added in an even lower tone. “Have you ever had sex before?”

Omega Nine met his gaze, seeing only honest curiosity in those glowing red eyes. “You know I was imprisoned for years. And I told you that no one managed to force themselves on me.”

The intensity in Thomas’s eyes didn’t waver in the slightest. “I know that. I was thinking of Marco. Before you presented, did you ever sleep with him?”

Omega Nine froze at that. “No.” The mention of his beloved Marco should be enough to make him stop what he was doing. He had saved himself for so long, wanting Marco to be his first and only. But it had been seven years without Marco showing up to save him. Omega Nine refused to believe even now that Marco didn’t care about him anymore but nevertheless Thomas had been the one to come and save him. Sooner rather than later Omega Nine would have been sold to a rich, spoilt Alpha and probably got beaten and abused. It was an Omega’s fate.

Instead Thomas had come like a knight in shining armour and saved him without expecting anything in return. So when Thomas once again intended to pull his hand back, Omega Nine reached around himself to grip the Alpha’s wrist and stop him.

Thomas looked perplexed. “I’m not going to be your first, Robert. You fought off all these vile Alphas wanting to buy you even though it brought you only more pain and suffering. And now that you have almost made it back to your Marco, you are going to break your promise?”

He sounded a lot like the little voice of doubt in Omega Nine’s head. And yet…

“If you had treated me like all the other Alphas coming to my cell door, I would have fought you with the same ferocity,” he admitted calmly. “But you didn’t come to buy me, you came to free me. Instead of treating me like a possession, you gave me back my name, my identity. Because of you I am able to hope again. You are the first Alpha that deserves my trust and I would like to proof that to you.”

Thomas’s eyes darkened with desire and something deeper, an almost melancholic look entering them when he announced. “Your words remind me of our Omega. He said something similar when he first gave himself over to Kuba and me.”

Omega Nine flinched at that, jealousy filling him at the mention of Erik. For a moment he wanted to lash out verbally and remind Thomas that Erik belonged to Nuri; that soon their precious Omega would not be a part of their bond any longer but he realized it would be harsh. It was not his business anyway. As he had told Thomas, he wanted them to give up their ownership over him as soon as he had found Marco.

The thought of leaving Thomas and Jakub hurt more than he would have anticipated yesterday, even more than the thought of them together with Erik.

Within merely two days these two Alphas had managed to sneak a way into his heart. With a heavy sigh he placed his head on Thomas’s chest, listening to the sound of the Alpha’s heartbeat as he rocked his hips lazily in time with the motions of Thomas’s fingers. The heat of the moment had faded, a meaningful but not uncomfortable silence settling between them as Thomas prepared him slowly.

At least that was what Omega Nine thought Thomas was doing until the Alpha had managed to effortlessly insert a third finger. “I feel honoured that you would break your promise for me, Robert. And I won’t deny that I wanted you ever since I first laid eyes upon you in that cell.”

Omega Nine stilled his hips. “But?”

“But you would only regret this later on. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” Thomas’s eyes glazed over, clearly replaying an intense memory in his mind. “It nearly destroyed us. I-, he was suffering for months, unwilling to leave his bed. And when Kuba and I tried to help him, it would only get worse.” Thomas swallowed against the tears in his eyes, the sight tearing at Omega Nine’s heart. “He kept screaming ‘I betrayed him’ over and over again until he would pass out from exhaustion. Kuba and I didn’t know what to do. And it took a toll on our relationship as well.”

Omega Nine tried to shove away the horrible images Thomas’s words had created in his mind and suddenly he felt bad for being jealous of Erik. He could relate to the latter’s guilt, he himself would perhaps feel similar if he betrayed Marco. But what Erik failed to see was that this was not a betrayal. Every healthy Omega would eventually need someone to help them through their heats and Thomas and Jakub were not like usual Alphas at all. Surely Nuri would understand.

Then the last statement of Thomas sank in. “What do you mean it took a toll on your relationship as well?”

Thomas met his gaze with a forced smile. “I know what you think of Alphas and you are perhaps right, most Alphas I met are like that. But not Kuba and me. We could never hurt an Omega, even if it was one we didn’t know at all. You can imagine how much worse it was when it was not a random but our Omega.”

Omega Nine nodded. He had never met any Alphas who minded seeing Omegas in pain but he believed Thomas and Jakub were indeed the exceptions.  

Suddenly Thomas pulled out his fingers, ignoring Omega Nine’s cry of protest as his hand wandered up to stroke upwards over his spine. “You said you feel like I gave you back your identity.” When Omega Nine nodded, he added in a meaningful tone. “Then please start thinking of yourself as Robert again.”

Omega Nine frowned. “What do you mean? I have always been Robert.”

Thomas raised his free hand to Omega Nine’s face, his fingers ghosting lightly over his jawbone as though he was afraid Omega Nine would break.  “No. For the last seven years you have been treated as a number until you started referring to yourself as ‘Omega Nine’ as well. I can see it in your body language, the way you carry yourself. As though you are expecting someone to hurt you even now. In the way your eyes come to life when I call you by your real name only for them to dull again a moment later.” It was a truth that Omega Nine had never noticed until now.

He swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. “Because Robert and Omega Nine are two separate persons. The Robert I grew up as, the man that promised Marco eternal love and happiness, died the moment he was taken prisoner. I lost my freedom and my self-worth, my family and my home. Thus Robert died and Omega Nine was born.”

He could see that his words were cutting Thomas deep but he did not want to lie to the Alpha. But it was no surprise that Thomas would not accept that so easily. “You’re wrong. Robert is still alive, he is merely buried within you. I’ve seen glimpses of him in these past two days, I see him whenever Marco is mentioned. It’s time to leave Omega Nine in your past, Robert. But you need to be the one to make this step.”

Omega Nine stared at the Alpha for a moment uncomprehending until Thomas added in a softer voice. “I fell in love with Robert, not Omega Nine. I fell in love with the man that would choose pain and suffering, abuse and humiliation for the small hope of seeing his lover again. I will not tolerate Omega Nine tearing him down.”

And then Thomas leaned upwards to catch Omega Nine’s lips between his own, sealing them in a kiss full of honesty, comfort and love. The Alpha pulled back after a moment and his breath caught in his throat as he met those captivating cerulean eyes staring back at him. Because he could tell with inexplicable certainty who exactly the man staring back at him was.

Thomas smiled warmly. “I’m glad that we finally meet, Robert.”

And Robert was the one to return the smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this chapter along with the previous one and figured I should finish it right away before my muse decides to hide from me again.
> 
> My dear pinkquill22, I hope you still enjoy your story - your comment after I posted chapter six definitely gave me the impression that you're still very excited about it - and I'm very sorry again for not updating it for so long.

 

 

**Chapter 7**

Robert was unable to turn his eyes from the Alpha’s face even when he once again felt memories tug at the edges of his mind, trying to drag him back down under. But Thomas’ joyful expression anchored him in the present, the slim ring of red in those green-blue eyes luring Robert in as though the Alpha had ordered him to stay. Perhaps it even was an order though an unspoken one.

Thomas smiled warmly, suddenly looking like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he reached out to touch Robert’s face as though he was seeing him for the very first time. “Finally. I was beginning to lose hope that I would be able to bring you back to the surface.”

Robert wanted to answer him, but his reply was cut off by a sudden jolt going through his body, everything in him aching with the need to be filled by an Alpha. The Omega groaned and closed his eyes to fight off the temptation lying right beside him.

“Your heat is getting much worse,” Thomas observed and he pulled back his hand instantly. “You have been hiding behind the mask of Omega Nine for too long.”

All Robert could do was nod. The Alpha was right, his body was simply making up for lost time and trying to force him into accepting help. As Omega Nine he had been a wild creature, his focus merely on surviving his imprisonment without getting raped but Robert was a different matter. He was a young, healthy Omega that had gone too long without spending his heat with an Alpha and now there was a very tempting one lying only inches away.

But it seemed like Robert was not the only one losing control of himself. Thomas’ eyes turned glowing red and the scent of his arousal was so strong that Robert could smell it even over his own sweet slick.

But even now Thomas was trying to be the honourable man, rolling onto his back and one hand disappearing into his pants to take himself in hand. The sight made Robert shiver with want and a part of him wanted to bat Thomas’ hand away and stroke him to completion instead, but fear kept his mouth shut.

Even the most decent Alpha was capable of forcing himself on an Omega in heat.

So Robert watched with bated breath as Thomas stroked himself impatiently, his cock growing to an admittedly very impressive size between his long, slender fingers. Robert could feel more slick leaking from his hole and his own cock was stirring at the delicious sight, but then Thomas turned his head to the side to look at him. Robert met his gaze instantly, aware that Thomas’s hand had fallen away from his cock even though he hadn’t come yet. The Alpha kept quiet and there was nothing but desire and longing in his eyes as he held the Omega’s gaze. There was no order, no compulsion for Robert to do anything, it was only a choice.

Robert swallowed hard, hesitating for a moment. It would be easier if Thomas would order him to do this as it would make him the one responsible for what was about to happen. But of course the Alpha wouldn’t make it this easy. He had told Robert that he was going to _make him_ break his promise.

Painful desire shooting up his spine ended Robert’s silent musing as he made his choice. He was sane enough now to realize that he needed an Alpha desperately to keep going, and Thomas was the only one he wanted to do this with – except perhaps for Jakub. But Thomas’ mate wasn’t here right now, he was with Erik.

He must have known what was going to transpire between Robert and Thomas and he had deliberately chosen not to be a part of it yet. Not because he didn’t desire Robert – that would be rather hard to deny considering he had to force Thomas into submission instead – but because he wouldn’t have been able to hold back like Thomas was able to.

This right here, right now was Thomas testing the waters and trying to show Robert that it was alright and that nothing bad would happen to him. Omega Nine had refused to see this, having seen too many Alphas abusing needy Omegas to believe in kindness but Robert was able to trust Thomas. He wasn’t sure if it made him the stronger or more naïve one of them.

Slowly Robert reached out for Thomas’ stomach, his fingers ghosting lightly over the skin and the protruding hipbone to familiarize himself with the Alpha’s body. Thomas shivered under the light touch but he stayed quiet, sensing how badly Robert needed this. The Omega let his fingers drag over Thomas’ pubic hair, taking note of the little sounds Thomas was failing to keep inside as he forced himself not to move. Robert hesitated again when he reached the base of Thomas’ manhood, realizing that they had reached the point of no return. If he did this, he would strengthen his already blooming bond with Thomas to the point that Robert could not keep it a secret from Marco even if he wanted to. Robert would have to tell him what had transpired tonight because even though Thomas had not claimed him and had promised not to do so tonight, Robert had willingly engaged in this act with him. He was about to break his promise, Marco would not be his first any longer. And yet the Omega could not bring himself to regret it as he held Thomas’ heated gaze, realizing that Thomas would never do anything to hurt him.

Even if Robert backpedalled now, Thomas would most likely accept his decision without complaint.

The realization sent warmth through Robert’s chest, a warmth that had nothing to do with his heat. “Thank you, Thomas. Thank you for taking care of me and being so kind.”

Thomas’ only response was to smile, the expression in his red Alpha eyes softening with love. “It’s what you deserve. Because you are a wonderful Omega that deserves his mate to lay the whole world to your feet. And I promise you, if it wasn’t for Marco, Kuba and I would not hesitate to that and show you how much you mean to us.”

His words sent an aroused shiver down Robert’s spine again and he was dimly aware of his slick soaking the bedsheet underneath him, but he shoved it aside. Robert smiled warmly before finally enclosing Thomas’ cock with his fingers.

The Alpha tensed up and dug his fingernails into the bedsheet to keep himself from touching Robert. The Omega was amazed how strongly the act was affecting him, his arousal becoming stronger with every second as he began to stroke Thomas slowly, torturously. The Alpha mewled, throwing his head from one side to the other and bucking up his hips to get the other man to speed up. “Robert, please! If you want me to not to lose control, then please hurry up!”

Robert ignored him though, merely tightening his grip around the thick hardness in his hand as he continued to stroke Thomas slowly. The Alpha’s fingernails had torn through the thin fabric of the bedsheet as he fought for his iron self-control. Robert licked his lip unconsciously when he could see the small drops of pre-cum leaking from the tip of Thomas’ arousal. Suddenly he wondered what it would feel like if Thomas came inside of him, what it would feel like to get knotted by this very special Alpha. His cock was big and hard in Robert’s hand, making him wonder if it would hurt? Would it be easier or even harder to take Jakub’s knot? Or both of them together?

Robert moaned at the images in his head and he was painfully hard now as well, the thought of his two Alphas taking care of him together almost enough to seed him over the edge. Robert was not aware of having sped up his movements, but suddenly Thomas’ hoarse cries of pleasure had become louder and he was thrusting into Robert’s hand, his own enclosing Robert’s hard cock seemingly instinctively.

Robert was too aroused to stop him and he groaned out loud when warm waves of heat and pleasure rolled through his body as Thomas mirrored his actions, jerking Robert off in time to the Omega’s own stroking.

Robert was the first to reach the edge, stars exploding behind his eyelids as he came harder than he had ever come in his life, spilling over Thomas’ skilled fingers while the Alpha stroked him through his climax. When he was spent, he slumped forward into Thomas’ arms, burying his nose into the latter’s chest to inhale the scent of dominant Alpha, the scent that promised him comfort.  Thomas allowed him to do it without protest, waiting until Robert was finally able to form coherent thoughts again. The Omega froze though when he realized that Thomas had not come yet and he felt like a jerk for neglecting the Alpha who had seen to his release. “Sorry,” he mumbled ashamed under his breath, but Thomas didn’t look angry at all.

“It’s fine, this is your first time and I want you to enjoy this special experience. I can take care of myself if you-“

“No!” Robert cut him off despite the pleased smile spreading on his face at Thomas’ kindness. “I want to do this for you, I really do.”

Once more he closed his fingers around Thomas’ rock-hard shaft, the Alpha’s arousal so strong now that he let out a pained whimper when Robert touched him again. “Please Omega,” he whispered brokenly, his hand that was still pressing Robert against his chest firmly dragging over the latter’s back, clearly wanting to leave marks. “Need you now, Omega.”

Robert felt his heart swell at the words and he stroked Thomas again, his eyes closing instinctively when he leaned forward to seal his Alpha’s mouth again. Thomas seemed to have needed this because he took charge of the kiss immediately, his free hand burying itself in Robert’s hair to keep him from pulling away while his tongue asked for entrance. Robert did not even think of rejecting him, his heart beating fast like the wings of a butterfly as he parted his lips to let Thomas in, allowing the Alpha to claim him. A moment later Thomas went rigid as he came and Robert moaned into the kiss when he felt something he had never felt before, Thomas knot swelling in his hand. He had already been wondering if it would feel good the first time he took Thomas’ cock but now that he had an idea of the size of his knot, he was positively doubting it. Robert shoved the thought away for now, focusing on the Alpha beneath him as he continued to stroke him, savouring the sight of pure pleasure and bliss on his face.

Thomas lay pliant underneath him, completely giving up control as he was floating on his high, allowing Robert to soften their ardent kiss and milk another spurt of seed from him. The wetness between his cheeks was making Robert feel very uncomfortable by now, the yearning for Thomas to fill him and claim stronger than ever but it would probably be too much. Despite knowing that he could not hold this off forever, Robert could imagine very well that he might react like Erik had done, regretting having broken his promise to Marco and lashing out at Thomas and Jakub even though it was not their fault.

He noticed that Thomas’ knot had finally subsided and the Alpha was getting oversensitive, whimpering in pain until Robert let go of his softening cock. The Alpha took charge of the kiss again, carefully rolling them around until Robert lay trapped beneath him as he started pressing him back into the sheets. Robert was aware that this was the perfect position for the Alpha to take him even against his will and that Robert could not free himself on his own, but the thought vanished as sudden as it had appeared. He trusted Thomas.

And so he did not fight when Thomas kissed him deeper, only surrendering to the force of the Alpha’s feelings. He lost all track of time, Thomas the only thing he could focus on while they were making out lazily.

Eventually they parted and Thomas climbed off him with visible reluctance, his lips red and kiss-swollen. His eyes had gone back to their usual green-blue colour and were now gazing down at Robert with love and admiration. “You could have stopped me, you know. I was so crazy for you that I didn’t think but I swear I would have backed off if you had ordered me to.”

Robert smiled, his hand stroking along Thomas’ jawbone as he tried to brand this moment into his memory forever. “I know, Alpha. But I wanted to feel you just as badly. I needed you.”

His words made Thomas’ eyes darken with possessiveness and pride, the expression arousing Robert again. He groaned at the burn in his lower body and he parted his thighs instinctively. He managed to keep quiet and not beg Thomas to take him, the mental image of Marco the only thing giving him the strength to resist temptation, but Thomas seemed to sense his need nevertheless. He shivered and for a moment Robert was sure that he would do what every other Alpha would do in such a situation, push into Robert and stake their claim on him. The scary thing was that Robert was most likely too far gone to put up much of a fight if Thomas did that, his need to be feel as close to an Alpha as any Omega ever could drowning out all other thoughts.

But Thomas did nothing of the kind, instead he let go of Robert’s hair and trailed his hand down the Omega’s front. When he had reached the navel he stopped and shifted their positions until Robert was lying on his side facing the Alpha, the fingers now moving over his hipbone to the small of his back. Robert was a trembling mess by now, hiding his face against the Alpha’s chest while he was whimpering.

Finally Thomas’ fingers pushed into him without warning and Robert let out a long groan at feeling his Alpha even though it was far from enough. He wanted more, he wanted Thomas to claim him and fill him, he wanted the Alpha’s knot to tie them together. He wanted Jakub to be there with them, both Alphas whispering words of love and ardour into his ear and he wanted them to bite down on his neck and mark him as their mate forever.

But at the same time he wanted all of these things from Marco and the thought filled him with guilt and remorse. Robert did not regret what they had just done, could never bring himself to regret this even if he wanted to, but he could not give himself over completely knowing that it would hurt his Marco.

So he bit his lip to keep himself from admitting his desires out loud, contenting himself with the feel of Thomas’ fingers quenching his flames. The Alpha clearly knew what he was doing, working Robert open with admirable patience, fingers scissoring repeatedly and his thumb brushing against a special spot inside of Robert that made him go riding with pleasure. Before he knew it he was hard again but though Thomas must have noticed this, he made no move to touch Robert’s cock and ease some of the painful arousal.

“Thomas, please,” Robert found himself whispering as he moved back against Thomas’ fingers jerkily, one hand sneaking between their bodies to take himself in hand. But Thomas let out a low growl, his eyes briefly blazing red. Robert pulled back his hand instantly, understanding that Thomas didn’t want him to touch himself though he did not understand why. “Please, Alpha, it hurts.” He begged and though Thomas’ eyes softened, the Alpha shook his head. “No, love, you will come from my fingers only.” It was a statement rather than a command.

Robert sobbed brokenly, irritated that Thomas’ words filled with him with want and anticipation even though it was far from what he wanted. Why was he responding this way, needing an Alpha’s dominance to feel comfortable?

Thomas pressed a soft kiss to his forehead as he resumed pulling his fingers out and pushing back in, drawing louder gasps from the trembling Omega. “It’s alright, Robert, you’re doing great. It will get better soon, just focus on me.”

Robert whimpered, the sound of Thomas’ gentle voice comforting him as he gave in to his conflicting emotions, tears burning in his eyes as he thought of the man he had loved all this time, the man who had not come for him but still held his heart. Robert was crying even when Thomas was driving him closer and closer to his climax, thrusting his fingers almost painfully into the Omega’s body now without mercy until Robert found a violent release, coming with a desperate howl as his release finally washed over him.

This time Robert was too exhausted to notice Thomas taking care of him, the Alpha climbing off the bed and quickly returning with a wet washcloth to clean up the traces of Robert’s two orgasms and even going as far as wiping some of sticky slick from his thighs.

Robert did not move, his eyelids heavy with fatigue while a deep sense of contentment that he had never felt before filled him. He forced himself to stay awake until Thomas returned to the bed, pulling the Alpha down and snuggling up against him. Thomas’ arm came around him instantly and within seconds Robert fell asleep in the safe arms of his Omega and for the first time in years, he dreamed peacefully without waking from a painful nightmare or a memory of happier times…

 

***

 

When Robert woke up again, he felt better rested than he had in months even though he could have barely slept for longer than three hours. It was still night time but Thomas was awake as well he realized, the Alpha’s hand stroking along his side slowly.

“Did you sleep well?” Thomas whispered and he sounded wary as though he expected Robert to lash out at him.

The Omega turned in his arms until he could see the features of Thomas’ voice that were illuminated by the silver moonlight coming through the window. “Great actually. I cannot remember the last time that I had such a good night’s sleep.”

He could feel rather than see Thomas’ warm smile. “I’m glad to hear that. If you want to, you could sleep some more, we don’t have to be up for another four hours.”

The idea sounded tempting but Robert could already feel his body responding to the Alpha’s presence once again and he silently cursed his stupid heats. “I don’t think I will get much sleep. I’m still in heat, remember?” Thomas rolled his hips against the Omega teasingly, letting him feel his already half-hard cock. “How could I ever forget that? I’ve been forced to lie beside you for half an hour until you woke up.”

Robert chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. “You could have done something about that.”

Thomas’ eyes hardened. “Like what? Raping you in your sleep? No, thanks, I really don’t find the thought arousing.”

Robert shook his head. “I know you would never do that. But I would have never noticed if you went to the bathroom and took care of yourself.”

“The idea crossed my mind,” Thomas admitted quietly. “But I couldn’t leave you alone like this. You were sleeping so peacefully and I had the feeling you would fall into a nightmare if I left your side.”

He was right of course. It was almost scary how well Thomas already knew him. Robert dropped his gaze to hide his shame even though Thomas could most likely not see his face in the darkness anyway. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to care that much about me.”

Thomas gave him a stern look but didn’t comment on the obvious, that he would always care about Robert, no matter what would happen and whether he was awake or sleeping. Robert was still struggling to come to terms with that.

Robert figured that it was his turn now and straightened a bit before reaching down to grab the Alpha’s cock. But Thomas gripped his wrist to stop him and there was curious tone to his voice when he said. “You know, we got kind of distracted.” Robert frowned as he tried to catch on and Thomas hurried to add. “Remember that I asked you to bite down on my mating bite?”

The memory sent a hot wave of desire through Robert’s body and he could feel himself reacting, his cock twitching in interest while there was once again wetness building between his cheeks. “Yes.”

“Well, you merely managed to touch it with your tongue before the situation got out of hand, right? I can’t say that I regret what happened afterwards, but it was not what I had in mind when I suggested you should touch my bond.”

Once again Robert felt curiosity rising inside of him. “You said I had to touch your bond in order to understand that Jakub did not abuse you two days ago. I don’t know what exactly you intended to achieve but I’m still not convinced. Not because I think Jakub is a bad Alpha and mate but because I know what Alphas having a rut are capable of.”

Thomas leaned closer, his breath hosting over Robert’s lip when he spoke. “Then it is time we change your mind about this.” He raised his hand and gently pulled Robert back down with him, shifting them until the Omega was lying on top of him. Robert was so distracted by the warmth radiating from Thomas’ body and being able to feel his heartbeat underneath his own fingertips that he almost missed Thomas’ next words. “Bite down, Robert, for real this time. I want you to see for yourself that Jakub did not have to force himself on me.”

Robert leaned down to gently kiss Thomas’ throat, moving his lips blindly until he felt them brushing the abused skin of his Alpha’s mating bite. It still smelt of Jakub even though the Omega had been the last one to touch it and Robert was unable to stifle his groan of arousal when he could detect the faintest trace of his own scent on Thomas’ mark. He licked over it gently, drawing surprised gasps from Thomas again before he finally did the unthinkable and bit down.

Thomas let out a roar and he bucked up before his body sagged down against the mattress in surrender and suddenly Robert felt himself falling into a dark abyss, right before a memory surfaced – a memory that was not his own…


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit shocked how long this chapter has become. I wrote the first third yesterday and the two other thirds today and my moods were polar opposite, I really hope that it didn’t show too much in my writing. I have to admit that this is probably my favorite chapter of the entire story even though there is no - or barely - any Robert in it which is strange because he is generally my favorite character to write.  
> Oh, and the chapter count has gone up from 10 to 12. Again. I'm kind of angry with myself right now because I'm apparently too lazy or chaotic to properly finish my stories...
> 
> Just as a warning: This chapter starts out… ugly. No, that’s not the word, more like ‘not nice’. Thomas isn’t nice and in return Kuba isn’t nice either. It is not rape, it is not non-con but it borders on very, very dubious consent. But you probably knew that from Thomas’ previous mentions to Robert anyway. It gets better in the second half though.

 

 

**Chapter 8**

 

_Fear crossed Thomas’ heart as he watched Robert going rigid beside him the moment the Omega’s eyes fell on the man standing at the threshold of their house. All kinds of thoughts went through Thomas’ head because he still didn’t know what Robert had been going through during his imprisonment. It was very likely that Robert was afraid of Alphas in general and Thomas felt like slapping himself for not having prepared this meeting better, for not warning Robert of his mate’s powerful aura._

_Robert looked positively terrified, a strangled whimper escaping him before his body suddenly collapsed as though someone had cut the strings of a puppet. Thomas surged forward to catch him before he could tumble to the ground, wondering if he had made a grave mistake in bringing Robert here so soon. Perhaps he should have waited for a few weeks and give Robert some time to settle. Thomas looked down at the Omega’s face and though the latter’s eyes were closed, there was a pained expression on his face and though Thomas had no idea why, protectiveness surged through him. He looked up when he heard a low growl and saw his mate approaching. Jakub’s eyes had turned completely red and the scent of dominant, aroused Alpha was rolling off him in waves so strongly that Thomas felt like being hit by a brick wall. There had been no sign of a looming rut, so Jakub’s state must have been caused by Robert. Thomas lowered the Omega down to the ground just in time before his mate had reached them, the older Alpha’s eyes completely focused on Robert._

“ _Kuba!” Thomas cried out when the Alpha tried to shove him out of the way as he placed himself protectively between his mate and the man they intended to become their second Omega. “Kuba, he is unconscious!”_

_Jakub tore his gaze away with an angry sneer, apparently unable to form words any longer. Thomas had never seen him like that before and he felt scared and turned on at the same time. He knew what Jakub wanted and needed, but even if Robert was awake, he would not be able to give it to him – not without all of them paying a heavy price. Thomas and Jakub had sworn to themselves that they would never be responsible for an Omega crying because of their failure, never again…_

_That memory made the decision for him. Thomas knew he needed to handle this on his own because it was clear that the other Alpha was not able to think rationally any longer. Thomas needed to steer them out of this situation and as another Alpha, he understood that Jakub would not be inclined to listen to his begging. Thomas needed to remind him that he was an Alpha himself._

_He cupped Jakub’s face with his hands firmly, his voice deliberately sounding like a command. “You won’t take him, Kuba. I won’t let you.”_

_Jakub bared his teeth to a furious hiss and his hand was suddenly at Thomas’ throat. For a moment the later feared Jakub was so gone that he was trying to choke his own mate, but instead Jakub’s fingernails dug into the visible proof of their bond, the mating bite. Thomas cried out at the pain and he was overcome with the urge to drop down to his knees at the reminder that he was disappointing his Alpha. Mates were not meant to fight like this. Jakub loosened his grip and for the first time, there was something akin to horror in his eyes as he realized what he was doing. His voice was only a hoarse whisper. “Only want to touch him… Please.”_

_Thomas swallowed hard. “We both know it would lead to much more than touching. I can’t allow for that to happen.”_

“ _Why?” Jakub retorted with a mix of anger and hurt, forcing himself to form full sentences then. “I wouldn’t do anything as long as he was unconscious. I’m not a rapist, I want him to enjoy this as well.”_

“ _I know,” Thomas soothed him with a softer tone. “But the thing is, I don’t think there is any way you could make this enjoyable for him, not yet. He has been imprisoned for seven years and he has been abused.”_

_Finally the glowing red dimmed down a bit and shock entered Jakub’s eyes. “Did they…? Has he been..?”_

“ _No!” Thomas cut in quickly, the mere thought of anyone forcing themselves on their Omega making his blood boil with anger. “Fortunately not. But he doesn’t trust me yet and he has only just met you. It will take time until he will open up to us.”_

_Jakub closed his eyes, his whole body trembling as he tried to restrain himself. “His body is calling out to me. The moment I saw him exiting the car, everything in me was screaming that he is mine. He belongs to us, Thomas, I just know it.”_

_Thomas didn’t doubt that. He had never seen any Omega have such a big impact on Jakub and the desire and dominance surrounding the latter was stronger than he had ever seen it. But the claiming would have to wait, otherwise Robert might hate them forever. And part of Jakub must know this as well, but he was losing his fight against his instincts that were telling him that this was the one. Thomas knew he had to do something to distract Jakub and there was only one way to achieve that, even though Jakub might hate him for this afterwards._

_Thomas forced a challenging grin onto his face. “You think, I didn’t feel the same when I first saw him in his cell? He was like a caged animal, fighting off every Alpha who dared to touch him. But not me.” Jakub tensed, his grip around Thomas’ throat tightening again in warning but Thomas ignored it. “He was so responsive to my touch that every brush of my hand against his skin would make his heart beat faster.” He could see that it was working as an invisible bubble of anger and jealousy whirled around Jakub and so he kept going in a more teasing voice. “You know, I have never done it in the backseat before. We should try that as well someday.”_

_He had gotten what he wanted. Jakub let out a loud, inhuman roar before he slapped Thomas so hard that it sent the younger Alpha to the ground. Thomas winced at the pain shooting through his arm when he hit his shoulder, but he had no time to catch his breath because Jakub was pressing him face-down onto the ground._

“ _What did you do?! We promised to always take care of our Omegas together!”_

_The hurt and betrayal in his voice tugged at Thomas’ heart but jealousy was the only way to keep Jakub’s attention away from Robert. He was doing this for all of them. Robert was too frightened and scarred from his imprisonment to trust them yet and Jakub needed a vent for his whirling emotions. Thomas could not stand either of these two being in pain and he was sure Jakub would forgive him his lies when he had explained his reasoning later._

_Thomas spit out the blood in his mouth and laughed coldly. “He is not our Omega yet. And who said I would even share him with you?” Jakub got off his back but only to pull Thomas up by his shirt and throw him to the side. This time Thomas managed to stay upright, only stumbling backwards a few steps. “I loved it, Kuba. I loved the way he surrendered to me willingly, the way he screamed my name when he came, the way I knotted him.”_

_Jakub let out a pained howl and surged forward, sending both of them to the ground again. This time Thomas was lying on his back and able to see the raw pain and anger in Jakub’s eyes and knowing that he was responsible for it, made him hate himself. But the thought of Robert kept him from giving in._

_Jakub’s fingers were digging painfully into Thomas’ throat again, this time indeed cutting off his air supply. “We never knot our Omegas! How could you do that? I’m the only one who should get to feel you this way!”_

“ _I couldn’t help it, he was writhing so beautifully beneath me.” Thomas closed his eyes, saying the one thing he knew would cut the deepest. “And the thought of knocking him up was too tempting to resist.”_

_Jakub froze, hurt and jealousy momentarily making way for utter disbelief. If he had wanted to, Thomas could have used this moment to free himself but he stayed where he was, waiting for his mate’s expected reaction. It took Jakub several seconds to get a grip on himself but when he did, his eyes hardened and there was a deeper shade of anger in his eyes. His voice was more collected now but at the same time cold and threatening. “Is this what you want? To have children? You could have told me and we would have found a way together.” He didn’t wait for a response, his voice dropping dangerously. “But since you were so desperate to do this on your own that you had to break your promise for that, allow me to help you now. Perhaps my knot could make you pregnant? We could certainly try, right?”_

_Thomas kept quiet, a sick sense of satisfaction filling him that he had been able to guess such a reaction from his mate. He allowed Jakub to get back onto his feet and push him towards their house. His gaze shifted to the unconscious Robert still lying there on the ground and carefully Thomas gripped the other Alpha’s arm. “Let’s get him upstairs first. We can’t just leave him here.”_

_Jakub tore his arm free but he walked back to the Omega and despite his fury, there was tenderness in the way he picked up the tall Omega in his arms. A melancholic expression crossed Jakub’s face briefly when Robert’s head lolled against his chest but it was gone quickly. Jakub carried Robert into the house and then up the stairs, Thomas following them a few steps behind. They disposed their charge in one of the prepared guest beds, tucking him in even though he would most likely not need it, judging by the first waves of heat radiating from his body._

_They stayed there, both of them watching their new Omega silently. He was beautiful lying there, smelling of sweet and ripe Omega in heat and both Alphas reached out to touch his exposed cheek simultaneously, their hands accidentally brushing. They both stilled but neither of them pulled his hand away. Thomas finally dared to look at Jakub again, seeing a fond expression in his eyes as the blond Alpha looked down at Robert. Before he could have stopped himself, Thomas asked. “Are you angry with him for what happened?”_

_To his relief Jakub instantly shook his head. “No, I’m not angry with him. It’s not his fault. He knows nothing about me and it seems that you were the first Alpha in years that he allowed himself to trust.” Jakub met his gaze then, anger flashing back up in his bright blue eyes, the ring of red around the iris growing once again. “I’m angry with you though. We should have done this together, you had no right to take him on your own.”_

“ _But you had?” Thomas retorted with a growl. “Because I’m pretty sure you would have just taken him as well, no matter if I had been there or not. You didn’t even see me standing there!”_

_Jakub’s anger returned full-force and his eyes flashed. “He is mine, my true mate!”_

_This time Thomas’ mask slipped, Jakub’s anger and jealousy mirroring in his own eyes. “And what am I? Your whore?”_

“ _You know that I love you!” Jakub spat back. “We have a mating bond, I promised to spend my whole life with you!”_

“ _And we both know you didn’t do it out of love!” Thomas screamed with real hurt, the thought that Jakub might love Robert more than him clawing at his heart. “You mated me out of reason not love! You mated me to help me save Omegas! Was Robert the one you were waiting for? Was your intention to help me and stay by my side until you had finally found your true mate and could move on?”_

_Thomas knew it was a stupid thought, but he couldn’t shake off his fear that there was some truth to it. He was almost glad when Jakub pushed him down onto the bed beside their unconscious Omega, clashing his mouth against Thomas’ in a bruising kiss that chapped Thomas’ upper lip. He shoved his tongue down the younger one’s throat ferociously and Thomas could not even gasp as he tried to struggle._

_Jakub pulled back seconds later with blazing red eyes. “How dare you doubt my feelings for you? How dare you believe that I would only use you for my personal gain?” His hands were at Thomas’ belt buckle, opening it impatiently. “It will be my pleasure to prove you wrong then. Let me remind you that you are mine alone!” He tore down Thomas’ pants and underwear with a single harsh pull, not even bothering to take off Thomas’ shirt. Instead he sat up, but only to open his zipper and pull out his cock._

_Thomas’ eyes widened even when arousal made his whole body tingle. “Right here? What if Robert wakes up?”_

_Jakub was moving his hand along his own shaft hurriedly, the sight of him kneeling above Thomas still fully dressed and stroking himself making Thomas’ own cock stir with desire. The jealousy and anger was still there in Jakub’s eyes but it was overshadowed by raw desire now. “I would be glad if he did. He ought to see for himself that you are mine and I won’t just share you with anybody else.”_

_Thomas shivered at the possessive words. “A bit too late for that, don’t you think? I already knotted him and staked my claim on him.”_

_Jakub’s hands that had shifted to his hips tightened their grip and Thomas pressed his teeth together to keep his whimper inside, knowing he would get visible bruises there. “Then I will once again stake my claim on you the same way. I’m not a forgiving person, Thomas, you know that!”_

_Thomas really shouldn’t find this arousing but he did, his whole body thrumming with anticipation until Jakub pushed into him without warning. Thomas screamed at the pain of the intrusion and he desperately clawed at his mate’s shirt to have something to hold onto._

_Jakub held still for a long moment, waiting for Thomas to adjust to him and relax a bit. His gaze softened slightly as he looked down at his mate but he said nothing. Thomas tried to take deep breaths, his body burning and throbbing painfully. And yet he still longed for this because he had just hurt his mate deeply and a part of him wanted to be punished for that._

“ _Move!” he croaked out but of course the command would anger Jakub even more. The older Alpha growled low, clasping one hand over Thomas’ mouth._

“ _No, we are going to do this on my terms. And you’re going to take it all without protest.”_

_Thomas opened his mouth and bit down on Jakub’s finger, smirking when the latter flinched and pulled his hand back. “If you wanted an obedient mate, you should have gotten yourself a nice, little Omega.”_

“ _Like you did?” Jakub retorted and finally he started to move, jerking his hips back forward so hard that it brought tears to Thomas’ eyes. Jakub leaned down, his mouth ghosting over Thomas’ mating bite and for the first time he sounded torn. “You’re mine, Thomas. You belong to me, we chose each other.” He sank his teeth into the wound so deep that Thomas could not keep his scream of pain inside even though he tried. Jakub let go again, his tongue lapping at the blood that was now trickling down the younger one’s throat. “Mine forever. You promised.” His hands grabbed Thomas’ wrists and pinned them down to either side of his head before he was thrusting harder, each snap of his hips driving Thomas down into the mattress and drawing strangled sobs from him._

_Jakub’s teeth returned to the mark, biting down even harder now that Thomas could feel pleasure lurking at the edges of the all-consuming pain. It was all too much and despite his resolution to submit, Thomas found himself fighting back as he tried to throw the other Alpha off. Jakub let go of the abused flesh and raised his head again, Thomas’ crimson blood dropping from his chin. And Thomas really – as in REALLY – should not find this arousing but his treacherous cock had the audacity to stir wantonly and he leaned forward to drag his own tongue over Jakub’s mouth, tasting his own life essence there. The iron flavour of blood was tinged with Alpha pheromones and Thomas moaned loudly at the taste of his mate on his tongue. “Yours, Kuba” he whispered with devotion. “Love you so much.”_

_Jakub shivered and he pressed Thomas down again to kiss him, his tongue demanding entrance with such dominance that Thomas could not even think of denying him, parting his lips to allow his Alpha mate inside. Jakub’s thrusts were getting messier and less controlled now and Thomas hooked his legs behind his back to take him deeper, the burn lessening with each thrust. Usually Jakub took his time preparing Thomas and their coupling barely hurt him anymore but this time was all about pain and hurt. Now that it was fading into real love-making though, Thomas could feel pleasure building at the end of his spine as well and his cock grew harder between them._

_Jakub’s tongue was still deep down Thomas’ throat when he came hard, spilling his seed inside of his mate. Thomas had been running out of air from their kiss already and when he could feel Jakub’s knot swelling inside of him, his vision turned black briefly._

_Thomas blinked against the abyss threatening to pull him down, trying to come to terms with being stretched beyond his limits. It wasn’t the first time that he was taking his mate’s knot but it had never happened like this, without any preparation._

_Thomas was not aware that he was only taking shallow breaths until Jakub’s face was blocking his vision, concern in the older one’s eyes. “Breathe, Thomas, just take deep breaths.”_

_Thomas forced himself to obey and just focused on lying there, calming his rapid breathing. He was still hard but Thomas was too much of an Alpha to beg Jakub for his release and he figured his mate would not grant it to him anyway, at least not right away. This was supposed to be punishment after all._

_While they were waiting for Jakub’s knot so subside, Thomas turned his head to the side where a completely oblivious Robert was still out of it. His increasingly sweet scent had filled the room and Thomas took a deep breath when he realized that the scent helped him to relax a bit, a longing sigh falling from his lips._

_He flinched at the angry sneer coming from above him and suddenly Jakub had gripped his chin harshly and turned Thomas’ face back towards his own. “Look at me!”_

_His voice was laced with jealousy even now. Thomas reached up to stroke Jakub’s cheek affectionately. “You’re sheathed deep inside of me and you still see Robert as a threat?”_

“ _How can I not after what you did?” Jakub replied with a dark scowl and Thomas figured that he could finally be honest now._

“ _You don’t need to be jealous of him, Kuba. I never touched him, not like this. I only said all of these things to keep your attention away from him.”_

_Jakub froze, wariness at war with hope. “You mean you were lying to me?”_

_Thomas held his gaze, hoping his mate could see the truth in his eyes. “I did it to protect him. And us. I want him as much as you do, I want him to become part of our bond. But if you had taken him, you would have destroyed that possibility.” Thomas finally turned back to look at Robert, sympathy rising inside of him when he remembered the hateful expression in the Omega’s eyes, the first time they had met. “You have not seen what I saw, Kuba. There is more to his defiance than the fear of getting abused. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like he is waiting for someone. Right before I visited him the first time, the guards told me that he kept hissing ‘He is the only one that gets to have me’ whenever an Alpha tried to approach him.”_

_Jakub shifted their positions so that they were lying side by side, his receding knot still tying them together. He was not looking at his mate though, his eyes settling on the Omega at Thomas’ other side. “Then you did the right thing I guess. Even though I have to admit it hurt hearing you say all these things. I really thought you meant them, especially…” He trailed off, his eyes shifting from Robert’s face down to his stomach._

_Thomas understood instantly. “Especially the part when I said I wanted to get him pregnant?”_

_Jakub nodded stiffly and he reached over Thomas’ body to rest his hand on Robert’s abdomen. “I didn’t know then what you just told me and all you had told me when you left earlier today was that you would buy another Omega. And when I finally saw him, he was so beautiful and tempting, even triggering my rut. It made sense that you would be unable to resist him as well.” He looked back at Thomas with regret. “I should have known better. I should have known you would never betray me like this.”_

“ _It’s alright” Thomas soothed him. “I wanted you to believe that. And it would be a lie to say that I did not think once of claiming him right away. He is special.”_

_Jakub agreed with a low hum and his fingers stroked almost reverently over the Omega’s abdomen. “I’m glad that you feel the same way. I know we already have an Omega and I was afraid you would hold my desire against me.”_

_Thomas could only chuckle at that. He turned his head to Robert again and he reached out to touch him as well, his hand brushing against Jakub’s. “I have the feeling our Omegas would complement each other nicely and perhaps heal each other’s wounds. Because I don’t think any Alpha could.”_

_They fell silent then and after a while Jakub finally pulled out, leaving Thomas feeling strangely empty. He knew it was uncommon for an Alpha to like getting knotted by their mate but that was what he felt and Thomas had never really cared about prejudices. He was glad when Jakub kissed him again as though he could sense Thomas’ longing. They were both gentler with each other this time and a part of Thomas wanted to ask his mate to make love to him slowly. But he kept quiet because he could feel the heat radiating from Jakub’s body and a growing restlessness as Jakub became more demanding, his hands returning to Thomas hips._

_A single hard fuck was obviously not enough to satisfy an Alpha who was having a rut, certainly not Jakub who was the most dominant Alpha Thomas had ever met in his entire life. There would be other times for sweet love-making._

_Thomas bit into his mate’s bottom lip, using the moment of surprise to turn them around and trapping his mate beneath him, a challenging smirk on his face as he saw the disapproval in Jakub’s eyes. “I think we should shift this to our own bedroom now, we don’t want our poor Omega to wake up while you’re fucking me through the mattress, do we?”_

_His heated words made Jakub groan and Thomas could feel his mate’s cock hardening beneath his own backside again. He was still aching from their first round but the pain was bearable and Thomas wanted to feel his Alpha again. This had been the first time that Jakub had knotted him this violently and the older Alpha had stayed inside of him longer than he usually did. There had been so much intimacy and love in this moment and Thomas yearned to feel it again._

_A thin ring of red was already enclosing Jakub’s iris but he did not take charge again, instead he was looking curiously up at his mate. “We both know that I shouldn’t subdue you again. You are an Alpha like me and you already submitted once, I can’t ask you for more so soon.”_

_He had a point of course. Thomas should not submit again, it was against his nature and it could harm him if he did this too often without taking up the dominant role in between as well. But Jakub was having a rut, one stronger than Thomas had ever seen it. They were mates and Thomas was sure he could do this for Jakub._

“ _You are my mate, Kuba. You can ask everything from me.”_

_He leaned down to place a soft kiss above Jakub’s own mating bite, smiling at the loud gasp he was rewarded with. Jakub’s hand was at the back of his head and pushing him closer, urging him to apply more pressure. Thomas fought back the sudden urge to sneer, his Alpha side not pleased with giving up control again. Instead he obeyed, opening his mouth to drag his teeth over the smooth skin. It had been a while since Thomas had last renewed his claim on his mate and he longed to do it again but he knew such a possessive action would only fuel his Alpha side even more and make it harder to stay submissive, so he resisted the urge to bite down._

_He yelped in surprise though when Jakub suddenly gripped his ass and lifted him up. Instinctively Thomas clamped his long legs around the smaller one’s waist, meeting the latter’s hungry stare. Jakub had stood up and was walking towards the door as though Thomas weighed nothing, the desire in his eyes so strong that Thomas felt goose bumps appearing on his skin. “You know I can never resist you. Even though I really shouldn’t do this.”_

“ _It’s my decision,” Thomas insisted. “I offered to submit and I wouldn’t have done it if I was not able to take it. So please don’t worry about me.”  
A look of utter admiration crossed Jakub’s handsome features. “I still can’t believe how strong you are, love. I can’t imagine any other Alpha having the strength to do this for me. I don’t deserve you.”_

“ _No, you don’t” Thomas teased him playfully, wincing slightly when there was the loud rattling of objects falling to the ground as Jakub threw him down onto a piece of furniture – sideboard, definitely a sideboard – and was looming above him like a predator closing in on his prey. Thomas’ breath hitched at the sight and his neglected cock was straining towards the ceiling, the arousal from earlier returning full-force. “Fuck me, Kuba! Need to feel you!”_

_Jakub groaned and Thomas could see his cock twitching at the order. The blond’s eyes were completely red now as he finally got out of his clothes, carelessly throwing them onto the ground before tearing Thomas’ shirt with the same impatience. “Are you that eager to have my knot again?”_

_Thomas’ aroused shiver should be enough of an answer but he couldn’t help adding. “You threatened to knock me up, didn’t you?”_

_His words had the desired effect, appealing to Jakub’s Alpha nature. The dominant Alpha growled possessively, his fingernails digging so hard into Thomas’ waist that they would surely leave crescent-shaped imprints. And the next moment he had parted Thomas’ thighs that were dangling over the edge of the sideboard and pulled the younger one’s body towards his own. Thomas cried out when Jakub entered him once again with a single thrust, his oversensitive channel aching with the force of it. It was harder this time to not fight back too much as Thomas felt exposed and vulnerable getting taken in the middle of the corridor, lying on a piece of furniture while another Alpha was dominating him again._

_Thomas hissed and pulled himself up to kiss his mate with a hint of frustration, groaning into the latter’s mouth when his motion changed the angle of Jakub’s thrusts. Thomas’ upper thighs were hurting from where the edge of the wood was digging into the flesh and he was distantly aware of how loud they were, the sound of slapping skin, the squeaking of Thomas’ naked backside sliding back and forth on the polished wood and the rhythmical banging of wood hitting the wall with each push of Jakub’s hips. But Thomas could barely hear any of this over the sounds of pleasure falling from his own lips and Jakub’s grunts as he drove himself deeper and deeper into his mate’s body._

_It was raw and hard and so perfect._

_Thomas was so immersed in the moment that his own orgasm almost took him by surprise and he came with a desperate cry, spilling over his own stomach only a moment before Jakub came as well, his body going rigid while his knot was swelling and tying them together once again. It hurt almost more than the first time around, the pain cutting through the bliss of Thomas’ high. Thomas could not stifle his strangled sob as he slumped back onto the hard surface underneath him but one look up at his beloved mate’s face made everything worth the pain._

_Jakub’s eyes were glued to Thomas’, shining with love and affection before they closed and he leaned down to capture Thomas’ lips between his own. They kissed again and Thomas was much too worn out to take charge, content with feeling his mate’s love for him. Jakub winced when he shot another spurt into Thomas’ quivering channel, prompting the latter to chuckle weakly as he pulled back from the kiss.  
“You think it worked?”_

“ _What worked?” Jakub asked completely clueless and Thomas knew he should not further tease his mate with this but he loved the older one’s reactions to far too much to keep quiet._

“ _You knocking me up?” He clarified. “You just spilled inside of me for the fourth time after all.”_

_Jakub moaned brokenly, his hips jerking as he came again. Thomas grinned victoriously. “Fifth time.”_

_Playful anger flashed through Jakub’s eyes and he attacked Thomas’ shoulder, digging his teeth into it as though he hadn’t already marked the younger Alpha as his mate._

_Thomas bucked up surprised and his knot jerked as well as another long streak painted his stomach white._

_Jakub didn’t comment on it but he dragged his teeth down over Thomas’ body, leaving a burning trail on his way that would surely result in a long, visible scar. Jakub’s knot receded faster this time and he pulled out as soon as they were not joined any longer._

_Thomas bit his cheek to keep from voicing his disappointment but he was quickly distracted when Jakub moved down towards his abdomen and dragged his tongue over Thomas’ cock._

“ _Kuba!” he cried out in surprise, his hands pulling at the strands of blond hair to make him stop. “That’s disgusting, you don’t have to do that.”_

“ _But I want to,” Jakub replied wickedly. “And I think you taste anything but disgusting. But you know what would taste even better?”_

_He didn’t wait for a response but moved even lower, his tongue flicking teasingly over Thomas’ length. “This.”_

_Thomas mewled and once again his legs clamped instinctively, trapping Jakub’s head between his strong thighs. The Alpha didn’t seem to mind though as he continued to lap at his mate’s shaft greedily and Thomas could feel his blood rushing south so fast that it made his head spin. He couldn’t be hard again already, not so soon after his own knot had receded but either Jakub’s rut and Robert’s heat were affecting him more than he was accustomed to or he had a fetish for Kuba dominating him so roughly. Probably both._

“ _Please Kuba!” He begged, too worn out to care how pathetic he sounded. “Need more!” For once Jakub complied with his request without protest, his hand closing around the base before he took Thomas’ cock into his mouth and sucked. Thomas moaned loud, his hand in Jakub’s hair tightening as he pushed his hips up. “Fuck, yes!”_

_He screamed, not caring at all that anybody who would see them now would never guess that he was an Alpha as well. Ordinary Alphas didn’t beg and ordinary Alphas didn’t enjoy getting dominated. But apparently Thomas was not an ordinary Alpha at all because as strange as it was, he could not imagine that this moment could get any more perfect – with his mate fucking him hard, knotting him and sucking him off afterwards._

_Thomas lay there panting, his back aching from being pressed into the hard surface for so long. Between his legs Jakub was taking his time, clearly enjoying this act far too much to think of putting Thomas out of his misery too quickly. The younger one’s arousal was painful by now and he was only capable of forming incoherent whimpers, his head trashing from one side to the other in desperation._

_After what felt like eternity Jakub finally showed mercy on him. He tightened his grip around the base, his free hand cradling Thomas’ balls teasingly while he swirled his tongue over the head of Thomas’ shaft repeatedly. Only seconds later Thomas was finally released from his torment as his climax washed over him violently and he shot his seed down his mate’s throat. Jakub swallowed it greedily, only pulling off once Thomas was completely spent._

_It took Thomas a while to get back down from his high, every bone in his body aching from exhaustion. He was absolutely drained but when he looked at Jakub who was watching him quietly, he could see that the older Alpha’s rut had still not worn off completely, the smell of his arousal still thick in the air._

“ _Bed, now,” Thomas demanded breathlessly, not surprised when Jakub didn’t catch on._

“ _Good idea, you look like you could need a bit of sleep.” Despite his rut he looked indeed worried._

_Thomas smirked weakly. “Not what I meant. The bed is simply more comfortable.”_

_Jakub looked at him with wide eyes. “You can’t possibly want me to go on. Hell, you can barely stand upright.”_

“ _It’s a good thing then that the bed requires me to just lie down and take it, isn’t it?” Thomas retorted without batting an eye. “Now get me into bed before I change my mind.”_

_For a second Jakub just looked down at him as though Thomas had gone mad, too many emotions flickering in his eyes to name them all. But then he leaned down to place a quick kiss to Thomas’ lips. “I really don’t deserve you, love.”_

“ _Bed!” Thomas commanded again with barely hidden affection and finally Jakub did as he had been told, picking him up to carry him into their own bedroom. Neither of them bothered about their clothes strewn on the floor but at least Jakub had enough common sense to kick the door shut behind them just in case Robert woke up while they were still busy. He dropped Thomas down onto the bed unceremoniously and climbed on top of him with the singlemindedness of an Alpha caught up in the storm of his rut. The prospect of getting dominated for the third time today made the Alpha side of Thomas revolt furiously, but he tried stomping it down as best as he could. One more time, just one more time._

_He turned around on his knees, his hands gripping the headboard tightly and hoping that his mate would make it quick because there was no way Thomas would get hard so soon again. “Come on, Alpha, I’m up for another round.”_

_Jakub growled deep in his throat and came closer, his chest pressing lightly against Thomas’ back as his fingers started to circle Thomas’ abused hole. “You still haven’t had enough? Should I be flattered that you like submitting to me?” He had barely finished speaking when he slipped a finger into the younger one up to the second knuckle._

_Thomas bared his teeth to a hiss, turning his head to glower over his shoulder venomously. “Why are you still talking? Or are you too worn out to knot me again?” His bold remark earned him another finger and Thomas had to sob at the sharp pain the intrusion caused his battered and bruised body._

_Jakub’s free hand grabbed the back of his neck and pressed until Thomas was forced to lower his head slightly. “Careful, Thomas. You’re the one who’s too spent to get it up again.”_

_Thomas showed him a wolfish grin. “I wasn’t the one who made big promises of knocking up their mate.”  
Jakub’s eyes flared red and his cock was already stirring again. “Why do you keep bringing that up?”_

“ _Well, it seems to turn you on, big, mighty Alpha,” Thomas replied with a cheeky grin, getting distracted by two additional fingers slipping inside and intensifying the burning in his channel. He forced himself to calm down even while everything inside of him was raging and yearning to reverse their positions. “Though I’m not quite sure what you like more about this. Knotting me and staking your claim.” He inhaled sharply when all four fingers were suddenly gone, leaving him empty and exposed. “Or the thought of how I might look like with a womb and our child growing inside of-”_

_He was cut off by a loud growl and suddenly something much bigger was burying itself inside of him, splitting him open. This time Thomas did not try to keep his voice down, an ardent scream erupting from his throat as the first push shoved him forward and he had to grip the headboard even tighter to keep his balance._

_Jakub’s voice was hoarse with desire. “I should have fucked your mouth instead. Perhaps that would have shut you up for a while.”_

_Thomas tried to laugh but it came out sounding like a broken sob. “I wouldn’t count on that.” Then all thought was erased from his mind as his mate set up a fast rhythm, pulling out almost all the way and pushing back in hard. Every single, damn thrust was hitting Thomas’ prostate with unnerving accuracy and he arched his back as the sensations became too much. He was barely aware of his shouting and fighting that seemed to turn both of them on even more. Nor did he notice the long, bloody scratches Jakub was leaving on his back and ribs as he raked them over Thomas’ skin in an attempt to force him back into submission._

_It was a raw, hard fight that would look scary to an outsider but it was exactly what they needed to make it work because Thomas’ Alpha nature was so fucking done with giving in willingly while Jakub was too lost in his rut to even think of allowing the other Alpha to take charge._

_Their fighting went on for a while, the headboard creaking from the force of Jakub’s pushes and Thomas hissed every time Jakub left another mark on him, his hands digging sharply into Thomas’ hipbones to keep him in place as he fucked him raw and hard, his mouth sucking at the bleeding mating bite on Thomas’ throat._

_It only came to an end when Jakub finally finished inside of his mate, knotting him for a record third time. Thomas whimpered at the pain and sank down onto all fours on the mattress, his legs and arms shaking from the effort to not slump forward completely. Jakub was still shallowly thrusting into him but with gentleness, merely riding out his orgasm and forcing spurt after spurt into the younger one’s body._

_Thomas had never felt this worn out and exhausted in his entire life, his Alpha side hurt and angry because he had submitted repeatedly but it was overshadowed by love and affection for his mate. Jakub had needed his help and Thomas would never regret granting it to him even if that sometimes meant that he would get hurt in the process._

_Finally Jakub was able to pull out again and this time it seemed to be final because he was back to his usual self, bright blue eyes staring down at Thomas with regret. “I’m so sorry, Thomas. I didn’t mean to be so violent.”_

_Thomas slipped underneath the covers and quickly grabbed Jakub’s arm to pull him down as well, his voice only a soft mumbling. “It’s fine. I wanted it this way and you needed my submissiveness to make it through this rut.” Jakub didn’t look completely convinced and Thomas reached up to pull his face down towards his own, kissing him softly. “It’s okay, Kuba. You are my mate and I love you too much to not help you in whatever way I can. And you will never have to apologize to me for it.”_

_A raw look entered Jakub’s eyes and he raised his hand to Thomas’ face, gently stroking down his cheek. “I love you too, Thomas. Never forget that.”_

_The younger Alpha buried his face in the crook of his mate’s neck, right where the latter’s mating bite was and he inhaled deeply, allowing their mingled scent to lull him to sleep. The last thing he was aware of was Jakub pulling him tighter against his chest, his strong embrace giving Thomas the comfort he needed to let go…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit dark, I suppose. And it turned out completely different from what I expected. There was meant to be some more Müllendowski smut, but I'm not in the emotional state of mind to write such things for which I would like to apologize. Nevertheless I think this is a very interesting chapter, especially since it gives us possible answers to questions you have been asking me ever since I started writing this story.  
> I have not answered to all the comments I have received, but I promise I will! I just needed to write first to deal with.. things.  
> Also note: This has not been proof-read yet, I don't have the energy to do that right away. So please excuse my mistakes.

 

**Chapter 9**

When Robert opened his eyes, he was back in his own body.

He was completely overwhelmed by what he had just witnessed – actually, had been a real part of.  And therefore he wasn’t surprised to realize that he had come while experiencing Thomas’ memory.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled embarrassed, feeling like a shy teenager when he realized, he must have come all over Thomas stomach. He tried to get off the Alpha, realizing that his backside felt strange. There was more to the sticky fluid than only his slick...

Thomas smiled sheepishly. “No need to apologize, as you can see I wasn’t doing much better.”

Robert froze above him, swallowing against a thought rising inside of him. “But that can’t get me pregnant, right? The Beta guards would tease us that they didn’t need to claim us to knock us up.”

Thomas growled angrily, the sound making Robert flinch in fear until he realized that it wasn’t directed at him. “They should be punished for threatening you like that! Yes, it’s possible but you don’t have to worry. Since it was my memory, I wasn’t as immersed in it as you clearly were and I was very aware of what I was doing. I came between your thighs and was careful to stay away from your entrance.”

Robert heaved a sigh of relief at that. Immediately he felt ashamed for his previous assumption, for even considering that Thomas might take advantage of his moment of weakness. The Alpha had never done anything to arouse his suspicion and especially after what he had just seen, Robert should know better. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Thomas reached up to card his fingers through Robert’s hair affectionately. “Will you stop apologizing, please? I can barely imagine what you have been through but I understand that it will take time for you to trust Alphas again.”

“I will never be able to trust Alphas again,” Robert responded ominously. He could see how his words were affecting Thomas and he added in a softer tone. “But I trust you and Jakub. You deserve it after the trouble you went through for me. And don’t try to tell me that it was nothing because I could feel what you felt, Thomas. And what happened between you and your mate was bordering on what your Alpha nature could take.”

Thomas didn’t argue, clearly knowing that Robert was right. Instead he shifted until they were both lying on their sides, facing each other. His eyes were roaming over Robert’s face with adoration before he eventually got up. “Stay here, I’ll just take a shower. You can take one as well if you want to, I will hurry.”

Robert bit his lip, unable not to imagine the Alpha standing naked under the spray of water and he felt hot all over again. He considered keeping his mouth shut and accepting Thomas’ proposal but to his own surprise, he found that he actually wanted this. And he knew now that Thomas would not cross the line.

“Can I join you?”

Thomas looked astonished, his eyes widening before a warm smile appeared on his face. “Of course.”

He extended his hand to the Omega invitingly and Robert stood up quickly to take it, allowing the Alpha to lead him into the adjoining bathroom. No one of them said a word until they were both standing in the shower and facing each other, warm water cascading down their bodies.

It was the first time that Robert was able to take a good look at the Alpha’s injuries and the sight of them filled him with regret. “I didn’t want you to get hurt, Thomas.”

“It’s not your fault. Kuba and I are two Alphas, it happens oftentimes that our lovemaking turns out raw and aggressive.”

“But never like this,” Robert stated, remembering Jakub’s regret when he had told him that he had forced his mate into submission.

Thomas hesitated for a moment as though he wanted to defend his mate but then he nodded. “You’re right, never like this. I know that Kuba feels guilty for what happened but there is no need to. I wanted to do this for him and he did not abuse the power I gave him over me. And with a bit of time Kuba will get over it as well.”

Robert did not argue. However something was still weighing heavy on his heart. “I still feel like I owe you my life. You did this to save me and you were right, I was not ready yet for an Alpha to take me. If Jakub had done that, it might have destroyed everything that is between us. I’m grateful that you saved me and I would like to make it up to you.”

His words elicited a sparkle in Thomas’ eyes but it was gone the next moment. “If you had to make it up to me, then I would not be better than any of the other Alphas you have met. You’re very important to me, Robert. I don’t expect anything back to repay a good deed.”

Robert felt warmth spreading in his chest at Thomas admitting that he was important to the Alpha. It gave him the courage to not use the way out Thomas was offering him but act on what he felt deep down in his heart.

Carefully he bent down his head to touch one of the long scratches at the Alpha’s shoulder with his lips. Thomas gasped but didn’t pull away.

“Robert, what are you doing?”

The Omega didn’t respond, following the line until it crossed with another shorter scar at Thomas’ chest bone. He dragged his tongue over the spot, spurred on by the moan he received from above his head. Robert didn’t have to look down to know that Thomas was getting hard again and after a moment of hesitation he dropped down to his knees, eying the hard cock in front of him. Thomas’ hands were at his neck instantly, urging him to look up at Thomas’ face.

When he did, he saw only love and desire in the Alpha’s eyes. “Robert, you don’t have to do this. I told you, you don’t owe me anything and I don’t want you to do something that you will regret.”

Robert responded with a smile. “I won’t regret it, I know that. You made me want to break my promise even before I saw what you did for me. And I had a lot of time to think this over in the past two days. What you said about Marco the other day, that he doesn’t deserve my love, it hurt me deeply. But you were only saying out loud what I had thought as well deep down. I don’t know why Marco abandoned me but the thought of him saving me kept me going all these years.” Robert blinked against the burning in his eyes, the tears threatening to fall. “But the Alpha who came and did what he had sworn to do, was you. Don’t get me wrong, I still hope that we will find Marco again and that he will want me back, but I should perhaps get used to the likely possibility that our story won’t have a happy ending. And even though part of me knows this, it would surely break my heart.” The first tear rolled down his cheek and Robert turned his gaze away at the pain of his own confession. “The thought of Marco was all that kept me from falling apart in the last seven years and I don’t know what will happen once that is taken away from me. I might break. Perhaps if I open my heart to you and Jakub before that happens, you will catch me when I fall.”

There was a strangled sound coming from above his head and suddenly Thomas’ hand was gripping his chin, forcing him to look up again and meet the suddenly burning red gaze. Thomas’ other hand was tenderly wiping the tearstains from his cheek, the gesture standing in stark contrast to the dark tone of Thomas’ voice. “You won’t break. We won’t let you.”

“I don’t want to die,” Robert tried to soothe the distressed Alpha, but his words only seemed to make it worse. “But Marco was my everything.”

The past tense hadn’t been lost on Thomas. “And now?”

“Now I’m not so sure any longer,” Robert admitted. “I love him so much and I don’t think I could live a life without him. But at the same time I long to become a part of your bond with Jakub as well. You two have made me feel cherished and important.”

Thomas’ anger waned slightly, a melancholic expression now on his face. “I have always been happy with Kuba and we love each other very much. But as you know we sometimes need help in dealing with each other, especially when it comes to intimacy. Usually we share our Omega for this but when we do, it doesn’t feel quite right because all our focus is on making him happy instead of us. When it is the three of us together, Kuba and I are still too dominant to willingly submit to the other.”

It made sense. With an Omega to focus on, no Alpha would be able to think of submitting unless said Omega was part of their mating bond and thereby able to ease them into submission. And of course Erik was not part of their mating bond despite the emotional ties he had formed with them. Erik was still waiting for his first love Nuri and he would not be able to mate anyone until Nuri would return to him, no one understood that better than Robert. But what would happen then? Would Thomas and Jakub let Erik go to be with the man he had loved all this time or would they want to keep him, perhaps by making Nuri a part of their bond as well? The thought made Robert’s heart ache with longing and fear. If Jakub and Thomas would mate with these two Omegas, then Robert might end up all alone.

He shivered violently, the loneliness making him feel cold and empty. The words were out before Robert had even thought about them. “Will you mate me?”

He froze in shock the same moment Thomas did. The Alpha’s hands fell away from his face and his whole body had gone rigid. “What?”

It was too late now to take the words back but Robert found that he didn’t even want to. He had only just realized that Thomas and Jakub might be his last resort and now he might even lose that hope. He desperately needed something to hold on to, he needed confirmation that he would not end up without an anchor to ground him.  
“If I asked you to mate me right now, would you do it?” He waited with bated breath for Thomas’ reply, seeing various emotions cross the Alpha’s face.

What he eventually said, made Robert’s heart shatter into a million pieces. “No. No, I wouldn’t.”

Robert dropped his gaze, trying to hide the tears that were now falling freely from his eyes. But what had he expected? Thomas and Jakub were happy with each other and they only needed an Omega to have a submissive party during sex. Something that Robert had refused to give them until now, holding on to the promise he had made Marco. These two wonderful, astonishing Alphas surely had a lot of Omegas who were willing to throw themselves at their feet and obviously they already had an Omega whom they loved dearly. Erik. And once they had bought Nuri, they had two Omegas who might want to mate them.

Coldness spread through Robert’s body, making him feel numb. He reached up to grab Thomas’ softened cock, ignoring the surprised yelp he received from the Alpha.

Even in this state it looked so large, prompting Robert to wonder if he could really do this. He had never done anything like this before, too focused on protecting his precious virginity to ever consider such skills could come in handy one time.

He was completely inexperienced but well, some Alphas liked that, right? Perhaps he was lucky and Thomas was one of them.  
Swallowing down the bitter thought Omega Nine wiped his mind carefully to focus on the task at hand, giving his Alpha’s cock an experimental stroke.

Thomas shuddered but it was definitely not from arousal. “Robert, please stop.”

Omega Nine ignored his plea, knowing that his life – his future – depended on succeeding here. He needed to show the Alpha that he was just as good at pleasuring him as Erik was. He started to rhythmically stroke Thomas to hardness, feeling him respond to his touch and the scent of his heat. Thomas’ hands were dropping to his shoulders and trying to push him away gently. “Robert, you need to stop.”

Not good enough.

Omega Nine growled in both frustration and panic, tightening his grip at the same time that he snapped at Thomas’ left hand like a dog. Thomas jerked when the teeth broke through his skin, his eyes flashing angrily. “What the hell?”

Omega Nine broke away instantly but only to lap at the wound he had inflicted, dragging his tongue along Thomas’ long fingers until he reached their tips, sucking at them.

Thomas had gone completely quiet, confusion and fear radiating off him. “Robert, please talk to me.”

Omega Nine pulled off and he grabbed Thomas’ wrist with his free hand, leading it down between his own legs. “Claim me, Alpha. Please.”

Thomas’ eyes widened and he tried to jerk his hand back though it was in vain with how tightly Omega Nine was gripping it. “Robert, please snap out of it! You’re scaring me!”

_“You’re scaring me,” he admitted quietly as stood at the edge of the bed, staring down at the man lying curled up in the sheets. There were dried tearstains on his cheeks and his eyes were puffy from crying. Gently he reached down to wipe a strand of golden hair from Marco’s forehead._

“Robert?!” Omega Nine flinched as he was pulled from whatever he had just seen, realizing that Thomas had succeeded to free his hand and was now gripping his shoulders tightly. “Are you alright? You just zoned out for a moment.”

Omega Nine stared at him, wondering what he had just seen. It was not a memory, not one of his own, it couldn’t be. Even if he had forgotten about such a thing, the Marco in this… vision had looked older than Omega Nine had last seen him, his face less boyish and dark blond stubble covering his jawline.

“I-I don’t know,” Omega Nine admitted in a shaky voice and he blindly grabbed for Thomas’ arms when he could feel his grip on his mind slipping yet again…

_“I hate you!” Marco exclaimed in a trembling voice as he stared back at him. His eyes were hollow and jaded as he straightened on the bed, his scent thick with Omega, misery, rejection and… sex._

Omega Nine whimpered when his vision cleared again and he found himself pressed tightly against a solid chest, the scent of Alpha and comfort chasing the horror of his vision away. Thomas’ arms were wrapped tightly around him and it took Omega Nine a moment to notice they were both kneeling on the ground of the shower and Thomas had apparently turned off the water.

“Robert, what’s happening to you?” the Alpha asked and Omega Nine had never heard him sound that terrified.

“I’m seeing Marco,” he whispered but before he could elaborate, he started to fall again and he cried out as he clutched Thomas’ arm even tighter, suddenly feeling like the collar around his throat was tightening.

_“Don’t you dare touching me again!” Marco screamed in despair and he-_

“No, Robert!” Thomas’ panicked voice was at his earlobe. “Stay with me!”

“I want to,” Omega Nine responded and he could feel that he had started to cry. “Help me, Thomas! Please!”

_\- lashed out, pain shooting through his body at the slap in his own face. He stumbled back, eyes settling on the distressed Omega on the bed. Marco was trembling with fear. “Go away, Alpha!”_

“Fight this, Robert!” Thomas’ voice urged him but Omega Nine could not even see him, too deep into his vision.

_“I was supposed to be his!” Marco screamed and new tears started to fall from his eyes. “How could you do this to me? I was hoping you were different, that you cared about me but I was wrong! You are just like all the others!”_

“Come back to me, Robert, please!” Thomas begged and he sounded wrecked, pushing his face against Omega Nine’s as though he was the one in need of comfort.

Omega Nine whimpered, feeling Thomas’ lips ghost along his cheek. “Help me, Thomas!”

“Stay with me!” Thomas demanded, his command momentarily pulling Omega Nine back from the edge but even that wasn’t enough to make him snap out of whatever he was just experiencing.

_He approached Marco silently, seeing the distressed Omega scramble back in fear until his back hit the headboard, wincing in pain._

_“Turn around,” the Alpha ordered calmly._

_Marco flinched and his body started to shake again. “No! I won’t let you do this to me again.”_

_The Alpha didn’t let those words stop him and he climbed onto the bed before repeating more urgently. “Turn around. I won’t say it a third time.”_

_Marco whimpered and he closed his eyes, his shoulders lumping in defeat as he-_

“Please, my Omega!” Thomas words cut through his vision like the blade of a sharp sword. “Stay with me. I need you to.”

Omega Nine opened his mouth, trying to form a reply but the edges of his conscious burned as he was sucked back into-

Deep red eyes met his own. “Please, darling. Stay.”

Robert inhaled sharply as Thomas’ words ripped him out of the claws of his vision, making him feel warm and protected and… loved. “What did you just call me?”

Thomas frowned. “Darling. Why?”

“Why would you call me that?” Robert asked honestly puzzled. “I’m not your mate after all.”

Thomas looked at him curious now. “Didn’t you just say you wanted me to mate you? What’s the difference in calling you ‘darling’ now? Or do you have a problem with pet names?”

Robert stared back at him confused. “No. But you just said you wouldn’t mate me.”

Thomas shook his head vehemently. “I merely said I would not mate you right here, right now. How could I, knowing that you are far from ready for such a commitment when your heart still belongs to Marco?” He frowned. “Wait, is that the reason why you were acting so strange? Because you thought I had rejected you?”

Robert nodded, feeling stupid all of a sudden. He should have figured that Thomas was not rejecting him out of cruelty. “I thought you didn’t want me. Because I hadn’t allowed you to claim me.”

Thomas narrowed his eyes, the look of disappointment hurting Robert much more than words ever could. “Is that what you think of me? That I was rolling around in the sheets with you just for fun? That I would seriously ask you to submit in every way an Omega can submit to his Alpha, knowing that it would drive you further away from me?”

Robert dropped his head in shame. “I’m sorry, I just thought… You are a strong Alpha and I was being a defiant Omega. I…” He bit his lip, trying to organize his scattered thoughts. “I was in heat and even then I refused to have sex with you. I thought, what use could you have for an Omega that didn’t want to sleep with you?”

Thomas dropped his hand from Robert’s face. “There are so many things wrong with that question that I don’t even know where to begin.” He closed his eyes, apparently trying to calm himself. Then he stood up and reached for Robert’s hand. “Come with me.”

With confusion written all over his face Robert obeyed, taking the Alpha’s hand and allowing him to lead him back to the bedroom. There Thomas gently pushed him down onto the mattress, ignoring Robert’s complain that they were still wet.  
“Let’s just ignore for a moment that I didn’t save you so you could be of any ‘use’ to me. Let’s focus on things that are apparently easier for you to grasp than my feelings for you.” Robert realized that Thomas was apparently angry with him and he kept quiet, allowing the Alpha to explain. “So, sex. You said one of your fears is that you refused sex with me.” When Robert nodded, he added in a sour tone. “Then what do you think we were doing until now?”

Robert dropped his gaze again. “That’s not the same, you didn’t take me.”

“And you think that’s all sex is about? Spreading your legs for me to take you?” Robert was frozen in place by the fury radiating from the Alpha and he was unable to answer. Not that Thomas seemed to have expected one. “You think all I want is to shove my cock into your waiting body and thrust until I have found my release?” His crude words made Robert shiver with cold fear. “You think that’s all that I want from you? If that was true, Robert, I would have taken the opportunity you were offering me under the shower just now and fucked you against the tiles of the wall.” The words were crawling up Robert’s skin all the wrong way. Thomas’ voice was hoarse with suppressed anger now. “You want to know why I didn’t do that? Because it would have been rape!”

“Why?” Robert retorted quietly even though everything in him was agreeing with Thomas’ words. “It isn’t rape when I was offering you to take me, which I did with my words and actions very clearly.”

“I know that’s what society says,” Thomas agreed. “But for me it’s rape when I force myself on someone who is not in the right mind to give their consent.”

Robert frowned. “I was not suffering from that vision yet when I offered you to claim me.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Thomas clarified.  “I was talking about your general mindset. You love Marco and as long as you are hoping that there is a plausible explanation for why he abandoned you, you won’t be able to give yourself over to somebody else. What we did here on the bed was all you could take from me without breaking your promise but it was still very much sex. I only made you do it because of your heat, otherwise I wouldn’t have touched you. I might have no respect for the man who would leave such a beautiful human being to suffer, but I respect your love for him.”

The words soothed Robert and he shuffled closer until he was able to pull Thomas’ body closer, burying his face in the latter’s chest. “Alright, I think I understand what you’re trying to tell me. We already had sex but you won’t claim me because I promised myself to Marco. Point taken. But there is something about Marco that I need to tell you. Something that could explain why he didn’t come for me.”

Thomas stilled waiting for the Omega to go on. Robert swallowed around the lump forming in his throat as he thought back to what he had just seen. “I don’t understand how this is possible but I just saw Marco. When we were in the shower and you rejected me, something triggered this… I don’t know how to call it. Vision? Memory?” He shook his head to clear his head. “Whatever it was, I saw Marco. He was lying on a bed and the room smelled of misery and sex and Omega. He was suffering and fighting with the Alpha who apparently raped him.”

Thomas stared down at him with sympathy but also doubt. “And you think this truly happened? That he presented as an Omega, was bought by an Alpha and then raped? It could be something your mind was making up in response to your panic.”

Robert shook his head. “No, you didn’t see it. I know it was real, I could hear, see and feel everything! And it explains why Marco didn’t come for me. Because he is an Omega just like me.” His thoughts started to dissolve as he kept replaying all the times that he should have noticed something. “My nephew. He was a difficult child, he always kept crying even when my sister Milena would try to rock him back to sleep. Nothing could make him stop crying, nothing but me. And Marco. When I presented as an Omega, it was obvious why Janek would be soothed by my presence, Omegas are great with kids. But Marco? I could never explain that.” He had barely finished his train of thought when a new one hit him. “Jakub was asking if I ever felt attraction to an Omega. When he told me that I was an Omega gem. Because I was born as an Alpha and before I presented as an Omega and my Alpha senses got buried, I might have felt attraction for Omegas. If Marco is an Omega, it makes sense why we were so attracted to each other even back then. My Alpha side was responding to him and his Omega side to me.”

Thomas gripped his shoulder, shaking him softly. “Robert, you are losing yourself in vanities and ‘what if’s. I’m not saying that this wouldn’t make any sense but focus on the obvious. If what you have seen truly happened, then how come you were able to see it?” 

“How come I was able to see that memory of you and Kuba?” Robert retorted, his voice rising in his frustration to make Thomas see reason. “Through your bond with him! This felt the same, I was there in the memory as an active part.”

“You are not mated to Marco!” Thomas exclaimed loudly, almost shouting now.

Robert growled. “Just because we did not complete a mating bond, doesn’t mean there is none. We spent years thinking we would become mates, he was the only one I ever wanted, the only one I ever kissed, the only one I was ever intimate with. It makes sense that we formed a bond.”

He was not sure what he had expected but surely not Thomas’ reaction. The Alpha let out a loud growl and suddenly Robert was pinned down on the bed with Thomas looming above him, his eyes blazing red with jealousy. “You truly think that? Then what about us?” Robert frowned, wondering what Thomas was trying to tell him and why the Alpha was so angry. “We know each other for only a few days and you were already intimate with me.” His jealousy changed into possessiveness. “You kissed me.” He leaned down until his lips were hovering inches above Robert’s. “And you want me.” Robert was unable to respond, too caught up the vortex of emotions. Thomas’ expression changed yet again, turning into fondness. “According to your logic we would have formed a bond as well.”

“Of course we did,” Robert confirmed and he was shocked by his own words. “We already did when you saved me and gave me back my birth name. I trust you, Thomas and considering what I have been through, that’s not something I say lightly. We already started to bond that moment and what we shared because of my heat only strengthened what was already there.”

Thomas’ anger faded instantly. “I’m glad that we agree on that.”

“I was never rejecting what we have,” Robert explained. “And I already made the decision to tell Marco what you and I shared. I’m not going to play anything down, you are too important to me.”

Thomas leaned down, hiding his face against Robert’s throat, making the Omega ware of the collar again. “Marco won’t be pleased.”

“No, he won’t. But he needs to understand my feelings for you.”

Thomas hummed in agreement, slinging one arm around Robert’s waist. “I don’t want to let you go, Robert. You’re mine now, at least in my heart.”

“I don’t want to let you go either,” Robert admitted. “But I can’t abandon Marco, especially not if it’s true that he is an Omega and has been raped. He needs me more than you do.”

Thomas’ grip tightened but he didn’t argue, clearly sensing that there was no use. Instead he started to kiss along Robert’s throat, his soft lips a stark contrast to the hard metal of the collar. “I still want to be able to protect you though,” he whispered reverently, his fingers dancing over Robert’s collar.

“How?” Robert asked in a hoarse voice.

“Remember Joshua?” Thomas asked quietly. “Kuba and I let him go to become Julian’s mate, but he still wears our collar. It protects him from getting abused by other Alphas because they think he still is someone else’s toy.”

Robert thought about it for a moment. Marco certainly wouldn’t like Robert wearing any Alpha’s collar but it was a small price to pay for his own safety. Besides, he liked the thought of being Thomas’, even if it was merely façade. “I would be honoured to wear your collar. But if Marco is indeed an Omega, would you also collar him?”

Thomas smiled. “If that is what he wants, then yes. But first I would have to buy him which is not an easy task. If what you saw is real, then Marco already has a master and most Alphas are too possessive to sell their Omegas, even if they see them as nothing more than slaves.”

Robert bit his lip, trying to hold his tears back. “I still hope that you were right and it was only a dream. It might explain Marco’s absence, but it would also mean that he has indeed been abused in ways I can’t imagine. I’d rather have him abandon me than ever experience that.”

Thomas moved towards his face, his lips searching for Robert’s. They kissed tenderly for a moment, the love coming from Thomas so strong that I it comforted Robert a bit. When the Alpha pulled back he announced. “Tomorrow we will buy Nuri and after that we will travel back to your hometown and find out what happened to Marco. And if it turns out that he has presented as an Omega and been sold to an Alpha, then I promise you we will do everything in our power to save him.”

“Thank you,” Robert responded with a soft smile. “And I promise you if it turns out that I was wrong and Marco truly abandoned me, then I will open my heart to you and Jakub all the way.”

He could see that Thomas had not expected that but the Alpha was quick to rein in his shock, kissing along Robert’s jawline again. “That’s more than I ever dared to ask of you. And I hope you are not angry with me for admitting that I selfishly hope that Marco is not an Omega.”

“I’m not angry,” Robert responded without hesitation. “As I said, I hope that as well though for completely different reasons.”

“No one should have to go through that,” Thomas agreed and Robert tensed when he could feel Thomas’ thumb touch the locket of the collar, the latter popping open after identifying him as the rightful owner. “And it might be too late for Marco but I will ensure this never happens to you again.”

Robert brought his own hand up to his throat, feeling the skin where the metal had dug into. “What are you doing? I thought you wanted to keep me collared.”

Thomas looked up at him fondly. “I said, I wanted you to wear my collar, but this one here is a collar of the government. It’s a sign of your slave status, nothing more, the broad metal meant to remind you of this fact every time you look into a mirror. You’ve seen what Joshua is wearing.”

Robert nodded. “It looked almost like jewellery. And he was wearing it right above his mating bite as though he was proud of showing the collar.”

Thomas nodded. “Before we buy Nuri, we will get you such a collar. You’re not my slave, Robert, you are my Omega. For me, that’s a big difference.”

Robert smiled and he dropped his hand, feeling free now that the metal was no longer enclosing his vulnerable throat. He was about to give in to exhaustion when curiosity became the better off him. “Whose collar is Joshua wearing? Yours or Jakub’s?”

“Mine,” Thomas responded proudly. “He is close to Kuba as well, but Joshua and I share a special relationship, that’s why he chose to wear my collar.”

Robert nodded, his thoughts drifting to his Alphas’ real Omega, the one who was more important to them than anybody else. “And Erik?”

“Jakub’s,” Thomas responded, the corners of his mouth quirking up into an amused smirk. “Do you want to know of every Omega whose collar they wear? Because that would be a rather long list.”

“No, I was just curious about Erik,” Robert replied. “Will Jakub also offer his collar to Nuri?”

“Most likely,” Thomas mused. “Being collared by the same Alpha is easier for two Omegas to deal with than having separate collars. It gives them a sense of familiarity; two different collars could be confusing at the start of a relationship.”

Robert nodded and finally he closed his eyes, turning his head into the pillow and this time there was no restricting metal digging into his flesh. “Thank you for answering all of my questions and being so patient with me.”

“You’re welcome,” Thomas responded before pulling Robert tightly against his chest, clearly intending for them to finally go to sleep. But then he seemed to change his mind. “There is one more thing I wanted to clarify. You asked me what use I have for an Omega who doesn’t allow me to sleep with them.”

Robert clearly remembered hurling that at Thomas’ head earlier. “Forget about it, we just talked about that point.”

To his surprise though Thomas grinned mischievously. “No, absolutely not. Because I’d like to counter that one with a question of my own. Robert, what do you think you’re doing now?”

Robert frowned, not catching on until Thomas elaborated. “Because unless the two of us have serious communication issues, right now you are about to fall asleep in my arms.” He pressed a quick kiss to Robert’s throat before reaching out with his hand to make the Omega close his eyes. “See? You are already sleeping with me.”

Robert chuckled. “Not that I mind your train of thought but that’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” Thomas replied. “But it’s more than enough for me.” Thomas pulled the covers up to their chins and when Robert inhaled he realized that the bed smelled of their mingled scents. It made him feel less alone. “Thomas?”

“Hm?”

“Did you mean what you promised me earlier? That you would take me in every way I want you to if it turns out that Marco doesn’t want me anymore? Or did you merely say that to calm me down?”

He could feel Thomas’ warm body pulling back a bit and when he opened his eyes again, Thomas gave him a long, pointed look. “I _promised_ you. I’m not saying things like that rashly.”

Robert felt like a weight was being lifted off his chest and he snuggled happily against his Alpha’s chest, finally being able to let go now that he knew that he would never be alone again.

Just before he fell asleep, Thomas whispered softly into his earlobe. “Sleep now, darling. When you wake up, Kuba will have returned as well. And until morning comes, I will watch over your dreams.”

And Robert believed him as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to finally contain smut. And be a happy one considering Kuba is finally back! But once again Omega Nine refused to cooperate and instead of ‘smut and happy’ we get ‘dark, emotional and dramatic’. I had to change the warnings for this chapter , so please be cautious before proceeding. Robert was not lying when he said he had never been actually raped, but this chapter shows us that it was a close call at times.  
> Also note that the chapter count has gone up (again) from 12 to 14. Now it looks like this might end up as my second-longest story after 'Let the Right One In'...

 

 

**Chapter 10**

The following morning Robert awoke to the sound of a car parking in the driveway right underneath their window. It was late morning, probably some time between 9 and 10 a.m. judging by the rays of sunlight illuminating the room. He had slept soundly and the scent of safety that he had fallen asleep to was still surrounding him now, making him smile as he realized he was still snuggling close to Thomas.

The Alpha was awake as well judging by the tension in his body and Robert pulled back slightly to get a good look at his face. Thomas’ eyes had been turned to the window but when he felt Robert stirring, he met his gaze, the raw happiness in his eyes softening. “Good morning, Robert. Did you sleep well?”

The Omega nodded. “Yes, I did. Jakub has just arrived, hasn’t he?”

At the mention of his mate Thomas’ smile widened. “Yes, he did.” He didn’t say anything more but he was radiating unusual impatience, clearly eager to greet Jakub properly.

With an amused grin Robert loosened his grip on his first Alpha and motioned with his head towards the door. “Then why are you still here? You must have missed him dearly.”

“Of course I did,” Thomas replied immediately. “But I don’t want to leave you alone, not after all that has happened last night. You were so shaken and my presence seemed to help a bit.”

“It did,” Robert confirmed. “But I’m fine now. It’s not like you are that far away, I’m sure I can handle being separated from you by one floor for a few minutes.”

A grateful expression appeared on Thomas’ face and he leaned forward for a quick kiss before climbing out of bed. “Thank you.”

He was not even bothering to put on a shirt, merely grabbing for the nearest pair of jeans on the floor. Robert didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was his own and he had to smile fondly as he watched the Alpha hurry out of the room. At least he hadn’t taken Robert’s underwear, so that was something.

Now that silence was filling the room, the Omega felt a bit nervous all of a sudden. Jakub had departed in a rush two days ago, unable to properly say good bye to either Robert or his mate thanks to his strong rut and now he would return to find out that Thomas and Robert had been intimate with each other. And if Thomas’ memory that Robert had been able to experience, had made anything crystal clear, then it was the fact that these two Alphas were never acting on their own with their Omega, always talking about such things beforehand. It was perhaps the only way to deal with their natural possessiveness and avoid jealousy.

Robert paled when he remembered how desperately he had thrown himself at Thomas in the shower, almost violating the Alpha in his fear to be abandoned again. There was no way Thomas would try to keep this from his mate and Robert would probably be lucky if the blond Alpha with the bright blue eyes didn’t tear him to pieces for assaulting the man he had marked as his alone.

Robert searched for ways to busy himself and try to prolong the inevitable, but after he had showered for twenty minutes, brushed his teeth for another ten minutes and eventually dressed himself, he figured he would have to get this meeting over with.

And despite his fear, a part of him was yearning to see Jakub as well, wanting to make sure that the latter was alright even though he had been forced to spend his rut without his beloved mate.

So with his heart beating fast in his chest Robert left the bedroom to walk down the stairs and face the man who would soon become his second Alpha. But when he walked downstairs, the first thing he saw was a stranger standing there and meeting his gaze curiously. Robert faltered in his steps, confused for a moment.

The man was younger than him with light brown hair, soft green eyes and handsome features. He smiled gently before he walked towards Robert, politely waiting at the end of the stairs. Robert caught himself and walked closer as well, taking note of the light scent of an Omega that was not in heat. He cautiously eyed the hand that the Omega was offering him.

“You must be Robert. I'm glad to finally meet the Omega who managed to bewitch Kuba that quickly.” He sounded amused rather than angry. “I'm Erik. Perhaps Kuba or Thomas has mentioned me before.”

Robert nodded, a sting of jealousy hitting him at having to acknowledge that Erik was incredibly attractive, exuding both softness and maleness – which meant he was exactly what two strong Alphas like Thomas and Jakub needed.  
“Both actually. But they didn't need to, I know who you are, Erik.” At Erik's obvious question he added less defensively. “I was the one to tell them about you and Nuri.”

Erik's eyes widened in surprise before they filled with overwhelming gratitude. “Really? I didn't know, Kuba wasn't that specific – or rather not that talkative in the past two days.” He grinned suggestively and Robert was torn between being amused as well and jealous. He didn't need to respond though because Erik took another step closer, invading Robert's personal space. Then he waited for a moment, clearly sensing that Robert was not used to getting this close to people. “I need to thank you, Robert. I will always be grateful to Kuba and Thomas for getting me out of that prison and for making me a part of their family. But there has always been something missing in my life and it is only thanks to you that I will be getting it back.”

He leaned forward hesitantly and though Robert knew what was coming next, he was unable to pull away, frozen in place until he felt lips softly touching his cheek. Something inside of Robert’s chest tugged painfully at the crushing realization that the last time someone had kissed him on the cheek to convey affection had been his mother. He suppressed his shiver, staying unmoving while Erik’s lips were lingering for a second.

When the younger Omega pulled back, he eyed Robert carefully. “I hope this was okay. Kuba told me you had to endure a lot during your imprisonment and I don’t want to cross a line.”

“No, it’s fine,” Robert responded and he brought up his hand to his own cheek, still feeling deeply touched by the gesture. “I was just reminded of my family.”

Sympathy entered Erik’s eyes. “Thomas and Kuba will reunite you with them soon. You need to hold on to that hope.”

Robert nodded gratefully, a deep wave of affection for the other Omega overcoming him. He felt ashamed for previously being jealous of Erik, for ever thinking that Erik could be a threat to him. Robert might not have fallen for him the way he fell for their two Alphas but the idea of being intimate with him and seeing him as a lover was far less unlikely than he had thought until this morning.

Going along with the thought Robert reached out for Erik’s hand to stop him from taking a step back. The Omega with the light brown hair frowned but didn’t pull his hand back and the last thing Robert could see before he closed his eyes, was Erik’s surprised expression.

Then their lips touched in a hesitant kiss. Erik shivered as Robert took charge, absentmindedly noting the differences to kissing Marco and Thomas. Erik’s lips were much softer and he made no move to deepen their kiss, his surprise at Robert’s bold action obvious to see.

Considering what Jakub had most likely told him about Robert’s past, he must have anticipated that it would take a lot more time for the former to open up to him. Only when Robert raised his hand to the back of his neck did Erik finally respond, hesitantly opening his mouth to let Robert in.

There was something strange about kissing Erik that intimately, but Robert did not ponder long about it. He had never kissed an Omega before – if Marco was one, it did not count as neither of them had presented yet at that time – and this was the first time that he was the one supposed to take the reins, something Robert was not familiar with at all.

Robert was not sure how to proceed, what exactly Erik was most likely expecting of him and he tried to think like an Alpha. What would Jakub or Thomas do in his situation?

A numbness spread through Robert’s chest as he mentally answered his own question with the obvious reply but he ignored it vehemently. Erik was a part of Jakub and Thomas’ life and perhaps soon of Robert’s as well. He could not afford to mess this up.

His kiss became more demanding and he shoved his knee between the other Omega’s legs, his thigh lightly rubbing against the denim-covered crotch. Erik let out a surprised yelp that was muffled by Robert’s lips and he tried to pull back. Realizing that he must have done something wrong, panic shot through Robert’s body. His heart had started drumming painfully against his ribcage in fear and he slipped one hand underneath Erik’s shirt. But his fingers had barely brushed against the naked skin when Erik’s hand closed around his wrist so tightly that it hurt, the younger Omega breaking away from their kiss. “No Robert, stop! That’s not what I want from you.”

_“That’s not what I want from you,” the guard drawled in a sickly sweet voice and Omega Nine winced in pain when the second guard that was standing behind him pushed him down onto his knees._

Omega Nine dropped down to his knees before the other man, steady hands calmly pulling open the zipper like he had learned to even as his mind was thrown back into the lesson…

_“Come on, slave!” the Beta behind him barked with obvious amusement. “Let’s see if you’re any good with your mouth.”_

_Omega Nine let out a furious growl and he tried to struggle, but his body was still sore from the beating he had received earlier that day and he was too weak to put up much of a fight._

_The third guard, a young Beta who had only been here for a few weeks watched the scene with visible discomfort. “Guys, I don’t think this is a good idea. The Omegas are supposed to stay virgins for their buyers.”_

_The dark-haired Beta in front of Omega Nine grinned viciously. “Oh, but he is going to stay a virgin. We’ll just show him how to please his future Master.”_

Erik’s was trying to pry his hand away, but Omega Nine smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Master, I know how to please you.”

_The first guard’s hands were lazily fumbling with his zipper, deliberately taking his time with opening it. He was clearly getting off on the raw fear that had filled their victim. Omega Nine was so focused on what was happening in front of him that he flinched violently when the guard behind him pulled his dirty tunic upwards to reveal his backside. “Hey, Larry, I think he doesn’t know yet how to become wet for his Master. Should we teach him?”_

_He didn’t wait for a response but shoved his fingers between Omega Nine’s dry cheeks, making him cry out at the sharp pain shooting up his spine. Omega Nine managed to tear his hand free and lash out, pushing the Beta back so hard that he landed on his arse._

_Before Omega Nine could stop him, the guard called Larry had gripped his neck so tightly that he was cutting off the Omega’s air supply, his short fingernails digging painfully into the vulnerable skin of his throat. “Feisty little scum, aren’t you? I’ll teach you how to put your mouth to better use!”_

_He let go of Omega Nine but the second Beta had already gotten off the floor and grabbed the weakly struggling Omega from behind. Larry watched them with a sly grin before he pulled out his cock and started to stroke himself._

_Omega Nine had started violently shivering by now and he renewed his trashing as it dawned on him what was going to happen. He had barely time to process the situation when Larry had already shoved his hard cock into his mouth, making Omega Nine gag with horror and disgust at the taste of the man’s arousal._

_He railed back so fast that he managed to free his mouth. “Stay away from me, Beta! I belong to him alone!”_

_He managed to land another hit against the guard holding him down, hearing a cracking noise that sounded suspiciously like a breaking nose. Omega Nine scrambled away from the floor and he threw himself against the sealed glass window of his cell, not caring that he was setting off the alarm that sent an electric shockwave through the conductor path and in the next moment through him._

_Ignoring the pain he managed to throw his whole weight against the unyielding glass for a second time before Larry was pushing him up against the glass with an angry sneer. “Bloody whore! I was going to be nice but if you want pain, you will get it!”_

_Omega Nine screeched in panic as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and realized it was an injection used to put defiant Omegas to sleep during medical tests. He tried to buck the bulky Beta off, his hands scratching along the glass in vain. From the cell beside him he could see Omega Eight standing behind the glass, his eyes wide with horror as he cried out for Omega Nine. The latter whimpered when he felt the fabric of his tunic being pulled up again and he could feel a hard length against his backside, the sickening smell of the older man’s arousal stinging his nose._

_Omega Nine could feel the control of his body slipping from his grasp, his hands sliding down along the glass, only Larry’s tight hold against it enabling him to stay upright._

_“I’m sorry,” he slurred brokenly but it was not the Beta he was talking to. “’M sorry for… breaking my p-promise.”_

_And just when he felt like all hope was gone as one of the Beta’s hand had disappeared to presumably take himself in hand and guide his cock towards the Omega’s hole, the door to the corridor burst open with a loud bang. Several men strode in quickly, led by the younger guard that had voiced concerns before._

_Larry froze up and let him go and the last thing that Omega Nine could see was the two Betas getting dragged out his cell and a worried doctor kneeling down beside him…_

 

“Robert!”

The commanding sound of the voice brought Omega Nine back to the present and he found himself still kneeling in front a wide-eyed Omega and the arms of an Alpha wrapped tightly around him. It was Thomas. He looked completely petrified even when he kept stroking Robert’s head and whispering soothing words into his ear. “Please come back, darling, it’s going to be okay. You are with us now, no one is going to hurt you.”

The feel of his arms and the sound of his voice was enough to ground Robert and he closed his eyes, pressing his face against Thomas’ chest and inhaling his comforting scent. But then another scent hit his nose and Robert froze at the raw aura of dominance he recognized even before he dared to look over Thomas’ shoulder.

Jakub was standing in the doorway, his hair dishevelled and looking less confused than he probably had the right to. There was a flash of something gentle – Sympathy? Sadness? – in his eyes but it was gone before Robert could be sure.

Slowly Jakub walked towards them and Robert shrank into himself, trying to hide behind Thomas’ body. The older Alpha’s eyes settled on Erik reassuringly and his voice was surprisingly gentle. “It’s alright, Erik. Thomas and I will deal with him now.”

Erik shook his head, still looking confused and scared. “I don’t know what I did to make him act this way. I don’t know what I have done wrong-“

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Thomas cut in. “Just let us handle this and wait for us outside. If I remember correctly, you wanted to check up on the oak tree that you planted during your last visit, right?”

Erik nodded absentmindedly and Robert felt bad for having done this to him, however unintentionally it had been. His moment of guilt was cut short though when Thomas let go of him to stand up, the loss of his touch leaving Robert feeling vulnerable. He watched with bated breath as Thomas cupped Erik’s face and pressed a soft kiss to his nose. “This wasn’t your fault, Erik. You couldn’t know that this was going to happen.”

The kiss seemed to have snapped Erik out his thoughts because he shifted his gaze to Robert. “Will he be alright?”

It was Jakub who responded to him. “Of course he will be. From what Thomas has told me, he is stronger than all of us put together.”

Robert turned to the older Alpha, trying to gauge how he should take those words. Had Jakub just honestly complimented him or had it been a jibe at his defiance? The guards had claimed that a lot of Alphas seemed to like that.

Erik accepted the Alpha’s words with a stiff nod and he walked out of the room, not without turning his head back to Robert with concern once more.

And suddenly Robert was all alone with two strong Alphas. And it didn’t matter that he had started trusting them, especially Thomas. It didn’t matter because Robert had scared their first Omega and forced them to intervene. And judging by their flushed faces, messy hair and the overwhelming scent of arousal in the air, Robert had interrupted them at a very unfortunate moment, one worthy of punishment.

Robert steeled himself as he watched Jakub come closer to him with a carefully blank expression. The Omega’s eyes darted to Thomas in search of help but the younger Alpha made no move to intercept.

“I’m disappointed with you,” Jakub said in a grave voice and Robert whimpered at the feeling of failure cutting through him like a knife.

Finally Thomas gave his mate a concerned a look. “Kuba, you are only making this worse.”

The blond Alpha ignored him though, his attention solely on Robert. His gaze was challenging as he came to stand in front of the frightened Omega. “I was led to believe that you are strong and defiant, Robert. But here you are crippling under the weight of your past life as Omega Nine. Are you telling me that Omega Nine is stronger than Robert? Are you telling me that you are not worthy of being our Omega?”

Robert flinched at those words. Suddenly the thought of being abandoned was back in his mind and he surged forward, clutching to Jakub’s thigh as though that could prevent him from leaving. “No, Alpha! I can be strong, I can proof that I’m worthy, just please don’t leave me!”

Jakub’s eyes finally softened. “Stand up, Robert. If you are worthy of being our Omega, then you should not be kneeling in front of me like an obedient dog.”

Robert hurried to obey and quickly got to his feet, his breath faltering when he realized how close he was standing to the mighty Alpha now, barely an inch between their chests.

The blue in Jakub’s eyes was darkening with desire and his voice was thick with dominance, allowing no argument. “I don’t ever want to see you going down onto your knees for someone out of fear. Do you understand me?”

Robert could only nod helplessly. He could detect possessiveness in Jakub’s words and realized he must feel similar about Robert’s action than Thomas had done yesterday, even if their ways to show it were very different.

Jakub nodded satisfied and he brought up his hand to stroke Robert’s cheek. The Omega hadn’t realized how badly he needed to be touched until this moment, his eyes closing with the force of his relief. He pressed his nose into Jakub’s palm, yearning for more but too afraid to ask for it, especially after what had just happened.

“Robert, you need to listen to me carefully. What you did to Erik was wrong and you scared him with your strange behaviour.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Robert reaffirmed. “I just thought that you would want me to familiarize myself with him, he is your Omega after all.”

Jakub stopped his stroking but only to drop his hand to Robert’s throat, his fingers gently tracing the red line where the collar had dug into the skin. “Thomas didn’t buy you, so we could add a toy to our personal harem. I can imagine that you have been led to believe this but trust me, Thomas and I are not like that.”

“I know,” Robert agreed but he could not deny that it calmed him to hear it again. “I trust you.”

“No, you merely trust Thomas up to now,” Jakub corrected him and he sounded more upset than he had probably wanted to let on. “He has been the one to take care of you for the past two days while you were scared and in heat. You were at your most vulnerable and it’s perfectly understandable that you started to trust Thomas.” A small smile played at the corners of his lips. “Really, I do. It’s hard not to fall for him, I of all people would know.” He shot his mate a look that was so full of love that it physically hurt Robert. “But you do not trust me yet, at least not fully. I am your first Alpha’s mate and you merely trust his judgement.”

Robert could not say anything to that because he realized it was the truth. And he was not sure why it was affecting him this much to hear Jakub acknowledge that Thomas was his first Alpha. “I want to trust you though.”

That had apparently been all the confirmation that Jakub had needed because he smiled and this time it was entirely for Robert. An unfamiliar feeling of happiness spread through the Omega’s chest; happiness at having pleased the magnificent Alpha in front of him.

Jakub lowered his voice to a soft whisper. “I’m honoured by that, Robert. And if you really want to trust me, then I’m sure you don’t mind to accompany me to the bedroom now.”

Fear flashed through Robert again but he fought against it, reminding himself that these were his Alphas who had made it clear several times that they would not hurt him. And Thomas had already proven that he was capable of being intimate with the Omega without claiming him. So Robert forced his heart to calm down and without breaking Jakub’s gaze, he reached to the side and gripped Thomas’s hand. The Alpha had not moved or said a word in the past few minutes but he squeezed Robert’s hand reassuringly once. Only to let go right afterwards.

Robert’s fingers twitched irritated and he turned towards the younger Alpha who was smiling at him encouragingly. Robert tried to reach out for his hand again but Thomas took a step back.

Jakub’s voice was still gentle but determent. “Alone.”

And just like that the fear was back full-force. Robert’s thoughts were racing with a dozen ideas of how this would play out but all that he could focus on was hurt. He felt hurt by Thomas not intervening even though a part of him was obviously aware that this was a test. A test of how serious Robert was about learning to trust Jakub.

Finally he forced himself to meet the latter’s eyes again. “Okay.”

Relief appeared on Jakub’s face and he extended his hand in an inviting manner. Robert took it with trembling fingers, allowing Jakub to lead him up the stairs again into the direction of the couple’s bedroom. The Omega could feel Thomas’ gaze following them until they disappeared from view but he was too scared of losing his fragile courage to turn around.

Once they were inside and the door had swung shut behind them with a sense of finality, Jakub let go of his hand and sat down at the side of the bed, looking expectantly at Robert. “So, why do you think we are here, Robert?”

Robert had not expected such an easy question. “So I can proof that I meant it when I said I wanted to trust you.”

Jakub nodded. “And how do you expect us to accomplish that trust?”

The challenging tone was back in his voice and the guard’s words were suddenly fresh in Robert’s mind again.

_…We’ll just show him how to please his future Master…_

Robert’s feet led him to the bed of their own accord and he was about to drop down onto his knees in front of the sitting Alpha when Jakub’s earlier words made him still.

_…I don’t ever want to see you going down onto your knees for someone out of fear…_

Was this fear? Robert honestly couldn’t tell. This moment was what he had been prepared for, right? And yet Erik had been far from pleased when Robert had tried to pleasure him. And Jakub had been angry and disappointed.

_…I was led to believe that you are strong and defiant, Robert. But here you are crippling under the weight of your past life as Omega Nine…_

What he had been about to do had once again been part of Omega Nine’s life. Clearly his Alphas wanted him to act as Robert. But how? He had never really faced such situations as Robert. But then he remembered what Thomas had told him.

_…For me it’s rape when I force myself on someone who is not in the right mind to give their consent…_

Robert bit his lip as he tried to think about what to do. Thomas had made it very clear the day before that Robert was not really able to give his free consent at the moment. But then why were they here?

“I don’t know what to do,” he eventually admitted in a quiet voice.

He had expected Jakub to be annoyed but instead the Alpha looked sympathetic. “If I was not your owner and you could ask me freely, what would you want us to do?”

Robert might be confused about a lot of things but not when it came to the things Jakub made him feel. Because there was much more that Jakub aroused in him than only desire. “I want to feel protected. I want you to take me into your arms and tell me that you will never let me go.”

A proud smile appeared on Jakub’s face. “Thank you, Robert. Thank you for being honest with me.” He reached up then and gently gripped the Omega by his shoulders, pulling him down with him onto the bed. Robert allowed it to happen, not protesting until he found himself lying on top of the powerful Alpha.

Jakub’s bright blue eyes were shimmering with a spark of red. “I can promise you that I will never let you go. Not even if Marco decides to take you back. Even if he claims you as his mate, you will never be his alone.” The red grew with the possessiveness of his voice. “Because you belong to us now and a part of you will know that even when he is the one that you fall asleep with. You are our Omega, Robert, and we will never let you forget that.”

His words should scare Robert but they made him feel the exact opposite. Instead of fighting the Alpha he was overcome with the urge to tilt his head back and submit. He wanted to feel Jakub’s claim on him so desperately. “And if Marco doesn’t take me back?”

Before he could even blink, Jakub had turned them around, his red eyes gazing down at Robert intensely. “Then nothing can stop me from being the first to claim you. Not even Thomas.”

Robert’s throat seemed to tingle in response to Jakub’s words. “I want you to.” His own words shocked him deeply. “I know I shouldn’t because Marco is my first love and I desperately want him to take me back. But at the same time I want to feel Thomas and you claim me together. And that thought scares me.”

“You don’t have to be scared of your deepest desires,” Jakub told him. “But you need to make the choice who is more important to you.”

And he was right, for it all kept coming down to his one question, right?

“Please don’t make me choose between the two of you and Marco. It is a question I do not know the answer to.”

Fortunately Jakub dropped the matter for now. His gaze returned to Robert’s throat and he let his fingers ghost over it reverently. “Today you will get Thomas’ collar. He is your first Alpha, so I understand and encourage your decision. But you need to understand that this borders on what I can take. I’m a possessive man, Robert, and it’s not easy for me to accept that you will share a bond with my mate as Thomas’ collared Omega while we share none.”

“But we already do,” Robert argued. “Didn’t you feel it too? When I first saw you standing on the threshold of this house, I knew that you were the one. My true mate. Do you think it was an accident that we triggered each other at first sight? That one look at you made me want to break my promise? And if Thomas hadn’t intervened, I would have without second thought.”

Something raw and vulnerable appeared in Jakub’s eyes and he turned away in shame. “Without my mate being his amazing self, I would have certainly done something that I would have regretted later. Yet he had to pay a high price for his courage.”

Robert raised his hands to cup Jakub’s face, forcing the Alpha to look at him again. “I know you hate yourself for doing that but you don’t need to. Thomas allowed me to experience this memory from his own eyes and I can assure you that there was never a point where he was unwilling to do this for you.”

Jakub’s eyes widened in surprise. “You felt what he felt? And you’re sure that Thomas was not manipulating the memory to take away your fear?”

Robert smiled. “I trust Thomas to be honest with me. And I trust you to love your mate so deeply that you would never hurt him.”

He was dimly aware that they had come to the point they were actually here for. Trust. “And that’s how much Thomas loves you. That he is able to submit to you three times in a row without breaking even though he is an Alpha just like you. That’s how strong your bond is.”

Jakub stared at him as though he was seeing Robert for the very first time. “I didn’t realize that I needed to hear that. Thank you, Robert.” He lowered his head towards Robert’s throat, his tongue licking promisingly over his pulse point. And instead of fear it was longing coursing through Robert’s body. He wanted Jakub to mark him so desperately but it was not possible. And yet he understood why Jakub was so upset by the bond Thomas and Robert shared. Because Thomas would get a visible proof that Robert belonged to him unlike Jakub.  At least that’s what Jakub was thinking.

Robert gently pushed Jakub’s face away from his throat, trying to ignore the reaction his body was showing to having the man he desired so much pressing him down into the mattress.

“Your name, Alpha,” was all he said, hoping that his eyes were able to convey all the things he felt for the man above him.

Jakub frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Robert bit his lip, hoping that Jakub would take this the right way. “Thomas’ collar but your name.”

Finally recognition dawned in Jakub’s eyes and he stared down at Robert with a mix of shock and hope. “You mean, you would want to take my name?”

Robert blushed at the intimacy of his own offer. “I have to take the one of my Master once I’m living on my own and since you and Thomas are mated but not married, you would have to choose one.”

Jakub shook his head, his voice trembling. “But why mine? You have to know what people will think of you.”

“They will think that I slept with you,” Robert answered and he was overcome by a bout of gratitude for Thomas’ explanation from the previous night when he added. “And they will be right.”

Contrary to him Jakub did not need explaining to understand that Robert was not necessarily meaning this in a sexual way. He looked deeply moved when he leaned forward slowly, sealing the Omega’s lips with his own.

And it felt like he had set fire to Robert’s entire being, all of his pent-up feelings erupting from him. His hand was buried in Jakub’s surprisingly soft hair, pulling demandingly until the Alpha finally opened his lips, kissing him open-mouthed. Robert’s thighs had fallen apart of their own, his ankles clamping around Jakub who had settled between them. His arousal was more than obvious through his layers of clothing, the stiff hardness rubbing against Robert’s inner thigh in search of friction.

His utter dominance made Robert want to submit in every way he could, asking for Jakub to take him and claim him until the whole world would know that this strong Alpha had chosen Robert as his worthy mate. And at the same time Robert wanted desperately to reverse their position and be the one to do the claiming, the thought of subduing the most dominant Alpha he knew making precum leak from his own hard length.

“You’re mine, Omega!” Robert growled in a hoarse voice, too gone to realize his choice of words. Jakub moaned in response and he was adjusting their positions until Robert’s cock was rubbing teasingly against the slightly wet cleft of his backside.

“Your Omega side is responding to me,” Robert whispered amazed, unable to stop himself from bucking up against the man straddling his lap.

Jakub gripped his wrist and pinned them down on either side of the Omega’s head, his deep red eyes blazing with lust. “I want you inside of me, Robert! But I can’t because I would need Thomas to be there with us!”

“We both do,” Robert managed to add before Jakub let go of him to take his own cock in hand, clearly trying to see to his own release. Robert smirked when he thought about what he had seen in Thomas’ memory, how responsive Jakub was when it came to prime Alpha instincts.

And though Robert was not in the position to tease him in the same way that his mate had done, he could not help saying. “I have to admit, I quite like the ring of Robert Błaszczykowski.”

And he wasn’t surprised at all when his words caused Jakub to come all over his hand, the Alpha shuddering as his climax washed over him forcefully. The sight of him arching his back at the force of his release was so erotic that Robert followed him immediately after, painting Jakub’s thighs white with the streaks of his seed.

Afterwards they lay panting beside each other, both coming to terms with what had just transpired between them. If someone had told Robert yesterday morning that the next twenty-four hours would see him having sex with two Alphas, he would have probably been horrified. Now though he felt incredibly content. Giving himself over to Thomas had already been a unique, pleasant experience but doing so with Jakub as well had added a sense of fulfilment to it.

He could feel Jakub’s eyes watching him attentively and when he met them, the Alpha asked softly. “What are you thinking of, Robert?”

Robert smiled and he shuffled closer, needing to feel the warmth of his second Alpha again. “I was just thinking that I feel like I’m truly a part of your bond with Thomas now and more than just an Omega that needed to be taken care of.”

Jakub growled as his arms around Robert tightened, the possessive action making the Omega feel even more wanted and cherished. “You were always more than that, Robert. Or did you think Thomas and I have sex with all of our Omegas, especially when the other one is not present?” He did not wait for a reply. “The moment Thomas decided to sleep with you even though I was not there, he showed you that you are a part of us now. You just need to learn how to interpret these gestures.”

Robert felt deeply touched by Jakub’s words that confirmed that he would never be alone again, even if the universe decided to be cruel to him and not reunite him with his first love.

“Robert,” Jakub started hesitantly, looking torn. “You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable, but what happened with Erik… it scared me. All three of us actually.”

Robert buried his face harder in Jakub’s broad chest, soaking up the scent of strong Alpha that promised him comfort and shelter. It made it easier to bear the memory that he had shoved away for years and had not wanted to tell another soul, not even Marco. “I got caught up in a memory from the days of my imprisonment. It was the sixty-fifth day since I got separated from my family when some of the guards decided to have some fun with me.” He swallowed hard to calm himself when he realized that Jakub’s scent was starting to change, a sharp sting of anger cutting through the thick scent of comfort. It made the Omega want to turn around and ask the Alpha to claim him just to show that he was sorry even though it was not his own fault for what had happened.

“The older Beta, Larry, he had always desired me, insisting on being the one to escort me to the doctors during my heats just so he had an opportunity to touch me. But that day, he had had enough.” He closed his eyes, mentally telling himself that this was past and he had nothing to fear any longer. Jakub’s body had started trembling with suppressed anger and Robert was overcome with the fear of Jakub’s reaction to what he was about to tell him.

“He and two other guards came into my cell. I realized that something was wrong when they locked the door behind themselves. Then he asked me to get down on my knees for him.” He took a moment to compose himself, his eyes burning with tears that he was desperately trying to keep from falling.

Jakub’ embrace was almost painful by now, his scent tinged with so much fury that Robert curled into himself unintentionally. The Alpha’s voice could have cut glass. “What did he do then? Did he take you?” He spat out the last two words so venomously that Robert could see him imagining in detail how he would rip Larry in pieces.

“No, he couldn’t. Omegas are supposed to retain their virginity for their Masters, he would have gotten into serious trouble if he had taken mine away. But he wanted me to blow him, no one would have been able to tell. I tried fighting him, but they were going against me as a pair and I was no match against them after my previous beating. I really thought I was done for when Larry shoved his cock down my throat.” The tears escaped his eyes then and Robert was unable to keep his composure any longer, the bed rocking with his sobs. Jakub rolled onto his back and pulled Robert against his chest immediately, pressing his lips to Robert’s cheek, the kind gesture full of love and concern building a stark contrast to the violent memory the Omega was caught up in.

Robert forced himself to finish. “I managed to fight them off for a moment and I tried to escape but as I said, the door was locked and there was no way for me to get out. Larry pushed me up against the glass and I could feel him against my hole. He was this close to raping me. My only luck was that the third guard had alerted the rest of the staff and they came just in time.” Robert sobbed harder, finally able to cry his heart out after Omega Nine had refused to acknowledge the traumatic events.

Jakub seemed to sense how much he needed this because he didn’t try to make him stop, silently allowing the Omega to cry against the side of his neck.

“But you know w-what the worst thing was?” Robert continued. “T-the doctor that came to check on me. I thought he h-had come to make s-sure that I was alright. But he merely came t-to check if I had been penetrated. He said I was alright and th-that my price didn’t need to b-be decreased.” Robert shuddered violently. “He said I was alright. How c-could he say that after I had almost been r-raped?”

He continued to cry harder while Jakub was rubbing soothing circles over his back, his scent still stinging with fury even when his voice was unbelievably soft. “Hush, Robert. You are here with us now and we will make sure that no one is going to hurt you again. Please believe me, I can’t bear to see you suffering like this! Please tell me what I can do!” He sounded like it was physically tearing him asunder.

“Just hold me like this!” Robert replied brokenly. “I have never been able to cry and mourn the things that happened to me. I just need you to protect me while I allow myself to be so vulnerable.”

“I will!” Jakub replied fiercely. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear on my life.”

And Robert believed him and just let go, allowing his emotions to consume him for the first time in seven years because he knew he was safe in this Alpha’s arms. And Jakub didn’t move away, he just continued to comfort his Omega until the latter had cried himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the part where Jakub is holding Robert during his crying and Robert tells him ‘I just need you to protect me while I allow myself to be so vulnerable’ during lunch break at work and it has been the first time in a long time that I teared up during writing. I had to make up a lot of excuses for my colleagues as to why I was crying.
> 
> On a positive note, after so many Thomas/Robert chapters I was kind of afraid that I would have trouble showcasing the love between Robert and Jakub as equally strong to the former ones’. But I think that’s definitely not an issue any more after this chapter. Robert and Kuba always seem to find their way to shine even when a chapter was not supposed to be about them. Not to mention half as long. *scowls at them*


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit of a struggle for me and I was really frustrated with it in the first half while writing it. The second half was a bit better though.  
> There is a little twist coming up here that I iniatially wanted to expose at the end of the story, but I realized that the last chapters will have so much focus on Robert's search for Marco that this twist would feel out of place and rushed, so I decided to prepone it and let the last chapters be all about the search for Marco.

 

 

**Chapter 11**

 

Judging by the position of the sun it was some time in the early afternoon when Robert woke up again. He felt disorientated, his eyes sticky from the dried tears and there was definitely the start of a headache building at his temples. He was still pressed tightly against a solid, warm chest and with a happy sigh he nuzzled closer, inhaling the dark scent of his mate. The latter let out a soft chuckle, his chest vibrating from the sound which slightly eased the pain of Robert’s headache.

“As much as I love staying in bed with you for a while longer, we have to get up now, Robert.”

Robert made an unhappy whine and stubbornly tightened his grip around his mate’s waist, hooking his leg over the Alpha’s thighs to prevent him from leaving.

The rumbling sound of laughter became stronger. “I mean it. It’s 2 p.m. and we are supposed to get you a collar later today, remember?”

That finally snapped Robert out of his snoozing and he opened his eyes. Jakub was looking down at him fondly, looking much more exhausted than Robert would have expected. “Are you alright?”

The Alpha nodded. “I’m fine, I just couldn’t find any sleep after the things you told me.”

Regret filled Robert when he realized how deeply he had upset Jakub. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be, I really needed to know,” Kuba reassured him. “Besides I was still yearning to rebond with Thomas, so I wouldn’t have gotten much sleep either way.”

Remembering that he was in the couple’s bedroom, Robert looked around but there was no sign of the other Alpha. “Where is Thomas?”

“Probably still in the garden with Erik,” Jakub replied. “He didn’t want to disturb our bonding time.”

“That’s actually very sweet of him,” Robert noted with a hint of astonishment.

Jakub grinned mischievously. “Yeah, he has his moments. But he can also be one stubborn son of a bitch sometimes.”

Robert thought back to Thomas’ memory and how the younger Alpha had successfully manipulated his mate into dominating him three times despite a tempting Omega in heat literally lying right next to them. Robert could definitely believe that Thomas had a mind of his own.

He loosened his grip and allowed Jakub to stand up again. The blond Alpha stretched his limbs before turning back to Robert and extending his hand like he had done earlier when he had asked Robert to prove his trust. “I definitely need a shower now. Do you want to come along? I promise I will keep my hands to myself.”

Until this morning the thought of showering together with the one Alpha whose dominance made Robert go weak in the knees, would have been scary but now it made Robert smile widely and he was quick to take the offered hand.

“I would love to but please don’t expect the same promise from me.”

His words brought a spark of desire to Jakub’s eyes but the Alpha wisely didn’t comment. They entered the bathroom together and Jakub turned on the water for Robert, adjusting it to the perfect temperature as he watched the latter. Robert closed his eyes at the wonderful feel of the warm water cascading down his body, washing away the sweat and the traces of his earlier love-making, all the while feeling the Alpha’s hungry eyes watching him. Which reminded him…

“I’m sorry for interrupting you and Thomas this morning,” Robert admitted with regret, opening his eyes to look at Jakub. “You two would have needed to rebond so badly and I messed up this wonderful moment with my strange behaviour.”

“It’s fine,” Jakub responded without hesitation. “My mate and I will make good for it as soon as the opportunity arises, don’t you doubt that.”

Robert thought carefully about the meaning of those words. “You will have to submit to him this time, right?”

Jakub nodded. “We always try to take turns to keep our fragile balance but after what I did to him two days ago, it is definitely the least I can do. I’m grateful that you opened my eyes and reassured me that I didn’t abuse my own mate but that still doesn’t change that I owe Thomas big time.”

Robert understood that, especially when he thought back to this memory, the way Thomas had manipulated Jakub to keep his attention away from the unconscious Omega lying on the bed beside them. Thomas had not only helped Jakub but also Robert. “We both do.”

For a moment they just looked at each other, then Robert was the one to reach out and pull the Alpha closer. “Come here. You can’t take a shower when you’re just standing there and watching me.”

Jakub allowed Robert to pull him close and start massaging shampoo into his hair but his eyes remained conflicted. “I just don’t want this to get out of hand.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Thomas had told his mate what had happened the day before. “Like it got with Thomas? Please, Jakub, you don’t need to be concerned about me. I enjoyed touching Thomas and being touched by him, but when he rejected my offer to let him mate me, my brain short-circuited and triggered a memory.”

Gently he started rinsing the Alpha’s hair, his heart swelling with love when Jakub closed his eyes and the tension left his body, clearly enjoying what the younger one was doing. As soon as he was finished Robert poured himself a hand of shower gel and started rubbing it into Jakub’s skin, taking his time as he used the opportunity to explore the latter’s strong body.

Jakub let it happen without a word but he was unable to hide his body’s reaction, his cock slowly hardening between them. Robert licked his lips, wanting to touch Jakub’s arousal but he knew the Alpha would not let him do so as it would be too similar to what had happened between Thomas and Robert yesterday.

Though not touching it didn’t mean that Robert had any intention of ignoring Jakub’s state of arousal. “Take yourself in hand, Jakub.” It was an order, calmly spoken but an order nevertheless. Jakub shivered and his eyes seemed to glow even brighter as he obeyed, his fingers wrapping around his own erection.

Possessiveness filled Robert and he applied more pressure as he started to massage the scented fluid into Jakub’s buttocks, smirking at the low moan he received in response. “Stroke yourself, Jakub. Slow but firm. I want you to savour this special moment.”

A part of Robert was confused by what was happening, by his desire to take charge of the situation, not to mention that he was ordering an Alpha around. But this was not the first time that Robert and Jakub’s hidden natures were responding to the other one’s during a sexual situation.

“What would your mate think if he knew that you are so eager to submit to me?” Robert grinned as he watched Jakub jerk in response to his words, his fingers speeding up their movements. “I bet he would be fascinated. Just imagine what a wonderful experience it will be when it is the three of us in bed together and I talk you into submitting to him freely.”

He was aware that he was walking on dangerous waters with his teasing but it had the desired effect. With a groan Jakub spilled between them, the water washing his seed away instantly. Robert reached down to gently clean Jakub’s cock, a fond smile tugging at his mouth when Jakub leaned against him for support.

When the Alpha opened his eyes, they were entirely blue, an expression so different from his Alpha red that Robert’s breath faltered in surprise. “I didn’t even know that I wanted this so badly. Please tell me you didn’t just say that to make me come.”

Robert hesitated for a tiny moment, his thoughts returning to Marco of course. The chances of being reunited with him – no matter if Robert’s vision would turn out to be true or not – were very slim but even if this happened, Robert would want to share this special experience with his two Alphas.

“I owe you two so much. You saved me from a cruel fate and thanks to you I will be getting my freedom back. Or at least as much freedom as an Omega can get. If there is anything I can do to help you, then I will gladly do it. I understand now how hard it is for two Alphas to submit to each other even when they are mates and no matter if I find Marco or not, I will help you to find a way beyond your dominance. Nothing can stop me from being there for you when you open yourself to your Omega side and allow Thomas to claim you willingly.”

He had barely finished when the Alpha surged forward, crashing his lips against Robert’s hard. The Omega’s back hit the wall behind him but he did not feel any fear at the assault, only increasing desire when Jakub was pressing him hard against the wall and claiming his mouth with his tongue. Their kiss was demanding and bruising but the Alpha was oozing so much gratitude that Robert felt a tight knot loosen in his heart.

He was getting hard between them as well and after a moment Jakub pulled back, a ring of red around his iris that indicated he was back to being his Alpha self. “I would like to have your cock in my mouth now, Robert. I would like to see you fall apart above me. But you can say ‘No’ if this would be too much.”

His words only added to Robert’s arousal and he growled, “On your knees, Alpha! Need to feel you!”

Jakub dropped down in front of him immediately, his eyes raking over Robert’s naked form. “You’re a magnificent Omega, Robert.” His eyes turned completely red with possessiveness. “My magnificent Omega.”

And before Robert could respond to that, he had leaned forward to take Robert’s length into his mouth. The Omega let out a loud groan and his hands tangled in Jakub’s wet hair, pulling at it demandingly.

The Alpha didn’t let himself get rushed though, dragging his tongue torturously slow alongside the younger one’s cock. One hand was pressing against Robert’s hipbone tightly to keep him from bucking forward while the other one was dropping from Robert’s base to his balls and then moving further to his backside.

“Aaargh, Kuba!” Robert cried out when Kuba’s fingers reached his leaking entrance, his thumb pushing in and out of the Omega’s hole in time with the swirls of his tongue. The dual sensation became too much for him to bear and with a sob Robert clamped around Jakub’s fingers as he gave himself over, coming in the Alpha’s mouth.

Jakub swallowed greedily before pulling off and rising from his position, his red eyes full of love when he whispered, “My Omega. No matter what happens.”

Robert whimpered at these words – words that should scare him because they were questioning Marco’s claim. But instead they touched the deepest part of his soul because he had been lonely for so long.

“I love you, Jakub,” he returned with conviction. “My love for you and Thomas is so strong that it feels like it’s tearing down my heart. And no one will be able to take that away from me.”

They blindly searched for each other’s lips again, their kiss deep and slow this time. Robert could have gone on forever, revelling in this feeling of mutual love but eventually Jakub pulled back. “If we go on like this, I won’t be able to hold myself back much longer. I want to lay my claim on you, Omega.”

Robert fought against the overwhelming urge to throw his head back and bare his throat in submission, wanting the Alpha’s claim so badly. But he managed to resist temptation and allowed Jakub to take a step back, feeling the latter’s hungry stare on him again when he was finally washing his hair and body as well.

They managed to dry themselves off and get dressed without touching each other again, their heated desire slowly fading to deep longing. Just when Robert had put on his shirt, Jakub broke the silence between them. “About what you said. That you will help me to submitting when it is the three of us together in bed.” He raised his gaze. “You should ask Marco to be there as well. He doesn’t understand our feelings for each other, how could he? But this makes it all the more important that he is able to see that we won’t claim you. Especially if he has indeed been raped and is as mistrustful of Alphas as you have been.”

Robert was surprised by the offer but realized that Jakub was right. It would be hard enough for Marco to let Robert be part of such an intimate scene with two Alphas; he deserved to be there at the very least. It led Robert to wonder about his Alphas’ first Omega though. “Will Erik be a part of this too?”

Jakub looked startled by the question. “No, of course not. Why would he be?”

“I think he deserves the same right,” Robert argued vehemently. “After all he is your Omega, is he not?”

For a moment Jakub merely looked confused before his expression finally softened. “Robert, I think we need to clear up a misunderstanding here. You’re right, Erik is our Omega in a way and as I said the other day, he has started developing emotional ties to us because of the continued intimacy we shared with him. But he is not a part of my bond with Thomas, nor will he ever be.” Before Robert could react to those harsh words, Jakub added, “Not because I am a cruel man but because he is not our lover. He is as much our Omega as Joshua is.”

Finally it dawned on Robert. “You and Thomas consider him your Omega because you bought him and collared him before gifting him his freedom.”

Jakub nodded. “He will always be our Omega even when he leaves us to start a new life with his mate. But we have never taken him once. We helped him through his heats but there was never anything deeper between us.”

“But you spent your last rut with him,” Robert reminded the Alpha.

“At his house, yes. But not because Erik was there, I would never ask of him to help me through one of my ruts, especially not after he has started becoming bonded to us.” His eyes became warm. “No, I was with the only man we actually refer to as our Omega. At least until we met you.”

For a split-second Robert was distracted by the last admission that reminded him how deeply these two Alphas loved him. But then he thought back to all the times either of them had talked about ‘their Omega’ and he realized neither had explicitly stated that Erik was the one. Robert had merely come to that conclusion in his heat-induced jealousy…

 

_Jakub approached the bed, leaning closer until he was able to cup Thomas’ face between his palms. “Stay with him until I come back.”_

_“Where are you going?” the younger Alpha asked confused._

_“I will pay our Omega a visit. It has been a few weeks since I have last seen him and he will be able to help me more you than without anybody of us getting hurt.”_

_Omega Nine felt a wave of jealousy at the reminder of this nameless Omega who would get to pleasure Jakub, but shoved it away. This mess was his fault and he had no right to voice his dislike. It couldn’t be easy for Thomas either, but it was necessary to make his relationship with another Alpha work._

_Thomas looked thoughtful. “Erik won’t be happy to see you. You left him alone during his last heat, remember?”_

_“You know why I had to leave,” Jakub replied with a sigh. “They were going to kill that Omega. I had to buy him right away if I wanted to save him.”_

_“But Erik doesn’t know that,” Thomas replied. “All you said was that it was something important and you had to go right away.”_

_“Erik was so deep in his heat that he could barely think straight. He would have taken it as me preferring another Omega than him if I had told him the truth.”_

Robert massaged his temples thoughtfully as he tried to rearrange the puzzle pieces into a new picture. “Before you left, Thomas said that Erik wouldn’t be happy to see you after you left him during his last heat; after you left him to buy another Omega. What was that all about?”

“His last heat was three months ago,” Jakub replied. “Thomas was away for a few days on work duties so it was my responsibility to take care of Erik the way we always do. Spending every waking hour with him, touching him, holding him, helping him find his release. There are many ways to help an Omega without claiming them. But halfway through I got an important message from one of our Omegas, telling me that Omega Twenty of the Warsaw facility was going to be killed. It was a matter of hours and I had to fly there right away to save him. I didn’t give Erik any details because he was still so caught up in his heat that I feared he would be jealous and hurt. After all I left him for another Omega.”

Robert was tempted to argue that this had been a matter of life and death, surely Erik would have understood. But then he remembered his own unreasonable reactions during his last heat – slapping Thomas, being jealous of Erik, almost subduing Joshua, almost breaking his promise to wait for Marco – and he stayed quiet. Omegas in heat as well as Alphas having a rut were a completely separate matter, neither of them inclined to listen to reason. So a part of Robert understood Jakub’s train of thought.

“What did Omega Twenty do to deserve such a punishment?”

“He used a moment of carelessness from the guards to his advantage and tried to escape. During the following fight he killed the head guard and severely injured a second.”

Robert tried to feel at least some sympathy for the guards but found himself unable to do so. He would have probably done the same. “Did you manage to save him?”

Jakub smiled. “Łukasz is wearing my collar now. He visits us every two weeks so you might get to meet him soon.”

Łukasz. Despite not knowing anything about him, Robert felt a wave of sympathy for him. At least he was safe now. “Did you choose this name for him or was this his birth name?”

“Birth name,” Jakub replied instantly. “Whenever it is possible to get records of their previous lives, we give our Omegas their birth names to remind them of who they used to be. Not all Omegas have such detailed records, especially not rogue ones that were caught on the street but there is not much we can do about that.”

Robert nodded as he took in all this new information and he finally dared to ask the one important question. “So your Omega, what is his name?”

“Neko,” Jakub responded, a fond smile appearing on his face. “He was the one helping me through my rut. He’s sending his greetings by the way. When I told him that the mere presence of this new Omega Thomas had just brought along, had managed to drive me crazy with desire, I saw him laughing for the first time in months. So thank you for that.”

His melancholy transferred to Robert and he reached to touch the Alpha’s face in comfort. “Why? What happened to Neko?”

“Life,” Jakub replied in a bitter voice and his gaze became intense. “Just like so many other Omegas, the years of imprisonment and abuse changed him. He had already had an owner before Thomas bought him and by that time he didn’t remember anything about his old life expect that he had to wait. Only God knows for what.”

That explained his unusual name. Robert was familiar with Esperanto and realized ‘ _neko’_ must be short for ‘ _nekonata’_ which translated to ‘unknown’. A fitting name for someone who was lost.

Jakub was not done though. “You already know that he gave himself over to us one day, right? The aftermath almost tore all three of us apart, but we got a glimpse of the man he once was. Just like so many other Omegas, just like you and Erik, he must still be waiting for the person he was in love with before he presented.” Jakub swallowed hard before suddenly cupping Robert’s face between his hands, his eyes burning into Robert’s. “He lost himself completely. I will not allow for that to happen to you too.”

Robert was frozen in place, unable to soothe Jakub the way the Alpha needed him to. “I don’t know what will happen if we don’t find Marco. If I lose this hope, I will lose a part of who I am, I know that for sure. But I’m not Neko. I have you and Thomas to catch me and perhaps it will be enough to anchor me.”

“We won’t lose you like we lost him!” Jakub insisted once again and Robert could sense the deep, raw pain radiating from the older man, an Alpha’s pain at having failed his Omega. “It’s not your fault, Jakub. He had already lost himself before you met him and all you could do was picking up the pieces.”

“It still hurts,” Jakub admitted and he closed his eyes as he leaned forward, hiding his face against Robert’s neck in search of comfort. It disturbed Robert to see this strong Alpha fall apart but he realized that this must be the first time Jakub allowed anyone else but his mate to see him so weak. Sometimes even Alphas needed to let go of all the hurt in their hearts.

“Thomas and I devoted our lives to saving Omegas, but it’s never enough. It will never be enough.”

“You’re doing all you can,” Robert whispered softly. “Don’t think of the lives that have been destroyed but the lives you saved. I’ve only been here for three days and yet I already know of so many people whose lives you changed. Łukasz, Erik, Joshua, mine. Not to mention their loved ones. Nuri will be reunited with Erik soon and Julian would have never met the love of his life without you.”

His words seemed to take some of Jakub’s pain away but there was still a raw expression in his eyes when he pulled back. “We haven’t saved you yet. We still haven’t found Marco.”

Robert didn’t know what to say to that. He loved Jakub and Thomas more than he would have ever thought possible but it was an undeniable truth that losing his hope regarding Marco would change him forever; that it might break him. So all he was able to respond was, “As I said, you can’t save everyone.”

He could feel something between them change, deep crimson red overtaking the Alpha’s eyes. Robert was not surprised when he suddenly found himself lying on the floor with the Alpha pinning him down, lowering his head towards the Omega’s throat.

Robert tried to push at his chest to make him stop. “Jakub, you need to control yourself.”

“Please let me mate you,” the Alpha begged him. “I need you in my life, I can’t lose you to the demons of your past.”

Everything in Robert was screaming at him to give in, knowing that a mating bond with his true mate might save him from breaking. But he couldn’t because Marco had always been meant to be his first. Robert couldn’t allow Jakub to claim him before finding out the truth. “No. This is my pain and you can’t take it away from me. I know that this is hard but you need to let me make my own decisions. If it needs a mating bond to keep me from shattering into pieces, then the Robert you love is already broken beyond repair. Let the truth hit me and if I don’t crumble underneath it; if I’m still standing tall once I know that Marco is forever lost to me, then I deserve to be the mate of two such strong men.”

Jakub’s scowl darkened. “A mating bond is not about deserving one another. It is about deep, unconditional love that never asks but only gives. Let me and Thomas stand by your side, you can’t ask us to watch you break.”

“But I have to,” Robert replied regretfully. “Because the kind of love you just described has been locked away in my heart for so many years. I might not share a mating bond with Marco but he is my mate in my heart. I need to either find him again or lose him forever before I can devote myself to anyone else again.”

Finally Jakub’s hard grip around him softened and he pulled back just a bit, the crimson in his eyes darkening to almost black. “This is your greatest strength but also your greatest weakness, my beautiful, stubborn Omega. When you open your heart to someone, you love them with every fibre of your being. It has kept you alive in Omega Nine’s body for so long, it’s what made Thomas and I fall for you. But it might also destroy you one day.”

Robert didn’t argue with that. “You can’t change who I am.”

“And I don’t want to,” Jakub responded before leaning down again, this time without using violence to keep the Omega down. “You wouldn’t be my Robert without this flame of love burning inside of you. You’re the strongest man I have ever met and I feel honoured to be your true mate. What you just told me made me realize that I don’t have to be afraid of losing you. If there is someone who could rise from the ashes and come back stronger, then it is you.”

Robert wanted to deny his words, afraid what would happen to Jakub if the Alpha was wrong. But before he could say something Jakub was bridging the last distance between them and kissing him. His tongue was demanding entrance, claiming the Omega in the only way the Alpha could and Robert surrendered to him willingly, allowing Jakub’s love to wash over his bleeding wounds and drown out the pain and sorrow.

By the time they finally parted Robert had lost all tracks of time and his surroundings, feeling like resurfacing from a deep dream when Jakub pulled away from him. The Alpha’s eyes had returned to their usual colour but Robert knew their conversation would still be nagging on him for a while. Carefully Robert entwined his hands with Jakub’s, giving him an encouraging smile when he led them out of the room.

 

***

 

Erik and Thomas were both outside in the large garden, the Omega on his knees as he was digging over a patch of dark earth. Thomas was carrying a small tree, an oak-tree judging by the shape of its leaves.

Robert watched them work silently, but Jakub seemed to sense his unspoken question. “Erik loves doing that, it gives him a sense of peace. He plants a tree for every Omega that we free from imprisonment.”

Robert’s eyes widened as he regarded the line of little trees and realized that Thomas hadn’t been exaggerating when he had said that their list of Omegas was long. “So this tree is for Nuri?”

Erik stood up then and turned around with a smile. “No, he isn’t here with us yet, is he? This tree is for you, Robert.”

The older Omega felt deeply touched by the gesture when Erik took the plant from Thomas and offered it to Robert. “Do you want to help me?”

Robert nodded and took the little tree before kneeling down beside the other Omega to help him. He was barely aware of his two Alphas quietly retreating to give them some alone time, careful to listen to Erik’s instructions.

They worked in comfortable silence and just sat there once they were done, staring at this symbol of life in front of them. Eventually Robert started to speak what had been on his mind for a while now. “I owe you an apology, Erik. I didn’t mean to scare you with my strange behaviour this morning.”

“I know,” Erik responded calmly. “But now I understand it better, at least partly. Thomas didn’t give me any details because he didn’t want to disappoint your trust in him but he told me that you had a rough time during your imprisonment and that it still haunts you.”

Robert nodded stiffly. “I wouldn’t have been mad at Thomas if he had told you the whole truth, you deserved to get an explanation for my actions. But I also have to apologize for kissing you.”

Curiosity entered Erik’s eyes as he watched Robert closely. “I have to admit that I was wondering about that. You kissed me before you snapped back to your past self, so the kiss still was a deliberate decision of yours. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, afraid that turning you down would make you lash out at me.”

Robert ducked his head. “I kissed you because I thought you were Thomas and Jakub’s lover. They had talked about their Omega before and your name was also mentioned, so I came to the wrong conclusion and thought you were their Omega.”

Understanding dawned in Erik’s eyes. “That makes sense I guess. I was really afraid that you felt attracted to me because that would have made things complicated.”

Robert had to chuckle in amusement. “Even more complicated? Do you think that’s even possible?”

They both laughed softly at that before the warm sparkle in Erik’s eyes dimmed to something that resembled affection. “I’m relieved that you are better now, Robert. That you’re slowly starting to heal again.”

Robert refrained from telling him that this could only be temporary and returned the warm smile. “Thank you, me too.”

For a while they didn’t speak, both of them quietly leaning back until they were stretched out on their backs on the soft, fresh grass, enjoying the sun of the early afternoon on their skin. To Robert it still felt like a dream to finally see and feel the sun again, its light hurting his eyes. He turned his face away to look at Erik.  
“Once you are reunited with Nuri, will you move into a house of your own?”

Erik nodded. “I would love to start a new life with him, I just have to talk with Kuba and Thomas first. As Omegas neither Nuri nor I have any money, so they would have to buy us a house.”

“I’m sure they will be happy to help you out with that,” Robert reassured him, his smile waning a bit when he thought of the other man living with Erik at the moment. “What about Neko? From what Jakub just told me, he is a broken man. Will he stay all alone then?”

“No,” Erik responded instantly. “He needs company, someone to distract him every now and then. I guess Thomas and Jakub will either take him in themselves like they used to do before I arrived or ask one of their other Omegas to stay with him. Łukasz seemed to get along with him very well.”

Feeling a bit better at that Robert nodded. “Do you think that it would be a good idea if you and I visited him once we have cleaned up our personal mess? I mean it could help Neko to gain hope again when he sees you reunited with Nuri and hopefully me with Marco.”

“Actually that sounds like a great idea,” Erik replied with visible excitement. “It’s hard for him to open up to people and he can be difficult to deal with but I consider him one of my closest friends. I always wanted to help him, I even tried finding some clues to his real identity. But I had no luck with that.”

Robert mused about that for a moment. If there was no name or record, the best clue to Neko’s old life was the facility where he had been imprisoned. “From whom did Thomas and Jakub buy him?”

“An Alpha called Sergio Ramos living in Madrid,” Erik replied with contentment. “He had bought Neko from their local facility five years ago. The trail came to nothing then, which led us to believe that Neko was probably brought there illegally right after he had presented.”

Deep sympathy filled Robert at that. He had a lot of bad things happen to him as well but at least his old life hadn’t been erased completely. Thomas had been able to give him back his real name and Robert still had his memories. He could not imagine what it would be like to lead a life without all of this, a life with no purpose.

That moment he vowed to himself that no matter what would happen in the next few days, no matter if he would become Marco’s mate or not, he would make it back to the people who needed him in their lives.

To Erik and Nuri for whom he already felt a deep sense of trust and loyalty. To Thomas and Jakub who were responsible for the rebirth of Robert from the shell of Omega Nine. And to Neko who represented what Omega Nine would have most likely become if it hadn’t been for his two amazing Alphas.

Robert owed it to himself to come back and help rearranging the broken pieces of Neko’s soul. “Now I have another reason to pray that Marco and I will get our happy ending. The path my life has taken is so similar to Neko’s that he might be able to hope again after seeing my happiness.”

Erik’s eyes were brimming with tears of gratitude and he reached over to touch the side of Robert’s face. “You have no idea how much this means to me. Neko is my best friend and I just want him to finally find peace in whatever form it is. And after what Kuba and Thomas told me regarding your feelings for Marco, I was afraid what would happen to you if you didn’t find what you had been looking for. I was afraid you would break as well.”

“We all were,” Robert added quietly. “And it might still happen. But I will not go out without fighting. I don’t want to become Omega Nine again or even something worse. Thomas and Jakub didn’t save me just to lose me to my past again, I have to fight for them.”

Erik’s fingers stroked gently down Robert’s jawbone, his bright green eyes burning with intensity. “You’re damn right about that. They already love you deeper than you think. It still tears them apart that they came too late to save their beloved Neko, but they know it was not their fault. If they have to watch you break as well, it might destroy them as well.” Erik leaned closer, his face only inches away from Robert’s. “They love you, Robert. And I know you think that you don’t deserve this but you’re wrong. Love is a complicated thing, it isn’t shared with people but grows with them. By loving first Neko and then you Jakub and Thomas have started loving each other even more. You’re not intruding on their mating bond but strengthening it with your feelings, so there is no need for you to feel unwelcome or guilty. By loving them you made the bond between your Alphas stronger.”

Robert had listened to Erik with bated breath, wondering how this young man who he had only met this morning could already know his fears so well. He was overcome with the urge to kiss Erik again but this time it felt honest and real. He hesitated briefly, his gaze dropping to the younger one’s lips. “I’m not sure if this is appropriate but I would like to kiss you now.”

Erik smiled again. “I would like that too. As I said love is a complicated thing.”

Then he bridged the distance between them and his lips touched Robert’s, sealing them in a soft kiss. Robert began to understand now why Erik had not pulled away from him this morning even though Robert had crossed a line. Because kissing did not have to be about desire, it could also be about affection. And love, always love.

Robert and Erik loved each other though in a different way from how they felt about their future mates. Which made this okay.

Robert wasn’t aware of having moved but suddenly Erik was lying underneath him while they were still kissing gently, something between them shifting. Their bodies were starting to respond to each other and Robert recognized the signals now to know that his Alpha side was awakening and Erik was responding to the dominant aura surrounding him.

With a chuckle Robert broke away from the Omega’s lips and rolled off him. “We should stop now before this gets out of hand.”

Erik took a moment to respond, his eyes gazing at the older one in wonder. “This Omega gem thing is so amazing. You were all Omega to me while we were talking and then we kissed and just like that I felt the growing urge to submit and beg for your knot.”

Robert’s cheeks coloured at Erik’s honesty. “Only that I’m not capable of knotting you.”

“Are you sure?” Erik responded in a teasing voice. “Have you ever allowed yourself to be all Alpha in bed?”

“No!” Robert retorted and he felt his blush deepening as he thought of the last two days with his Alphas. He was saved from having to say anything more when familiar scents filled his nose and he raised his head to see Thomas and Jakub approach them hand in hand. They looked happy and content as they regarded the two Omegas in the grass and Robert’s eyes were drawn to their kiss-swollen lips and renewed mating bites. Apparently the fragile ‘balance’ of their relationship had been restored for now…

Jakub raised an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Enjoying yourselves, boys?”

Erik snorted in amusement but Robert ducked his head when he realized the Alphas had seen what their Omegas had been doing. “I hope you’re not angry that I kissed Erik. It was nothing like the last time, I swear.”

It was Thomas who answered for both Alphas. “We know that. Why would we be angry that the two of you are bonding? Besides, you are Omegas, it’s easier for you to openly show your affection and act on it than it is for us Alphas. Kuba and I know that, so we’re just happy that all is settled now between you two.”

Robert exhaled in relief and he got back to his feet, looking curiously between the two Alphas. “We will go out and you will be buying my collar now, right?”

Thomas’ eyes lit up with anticipation. “Exactly. I can’t wait to see my claim on you.”

His heated words made Robert shiver with desire while beside them Jakub growled at his mate though the amusement in his eyes was giving him away. “Get in line, sweetheart. I already vowed to Robert that I would be the first to make him mine. So all you get to do is strap that necklace around Robert’s neck, nothing more.”

“We’ll see about that,” Thomas retorted with a lopsided grin right before going in to steal a kiss from his mate’s lips. Of course Jakub didn’t let him get away with that and Robert watched fascinated as the blond Alpha chased after Thomas’ lips, their kiss almost appearing like a playful fight. Robert’s heart was brimming with love as he watched his two Alphas being so happy and comfortable and he jumped when Erik called their attention with a chiding cough.

“I hate to interrupt you two but we have a tight time schedule. Robert needs his collar and I need my mate.”  
The two Alphas broke apart with an embarrassed laugh and Jakub responded, “Of course. You and Nuri have been waiting for each other for far too long. You and Robert should just take a shower, then we are all ready to leave.”

And the two Omegas hurried to obey, Erik using the shower at the ground floor while Robert was using the one adjoined to his own room. Tingling anticipation was filling him as he hurried to soap his torso, the thought of Erik finally getting Nuri back spurring him on.

The first tragic love story would soon get their happy ending. First Erik, then hopefully Robert and maybe one day even Neko. Only two more to go…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the name Neko is okay for our new addition to the cast. I really liked the idea of a broken Omega whose name translates to 'unknown' but when I googled it, no word in any language sounded like a name - except for the Esperanto's 'nekonata' which seemed like a perfect choice considering the language's connection to Poland.
> 
> Oh, and this version of Erik has really wrapped me around his little finger, he was not supposed to have such an impact on our main characters.  
> Now I'm really tempted to not break his emotional ties with Jakub and Thomas once he has Nuri back. *scowls at her wonderful Erik*


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was another straining one again and kept me quite busy last weekend.  
> I had hoped to be finished with it by Tuesday, but then it became so unbelievably long.   
> Feedback would be very much appreciated.

 

 

**Chapter 12**

 

Twenty minutes later Robert was sitting next to Erik in the backseat of Thomas’ car, both Omegas brimming with anticipation while their Alphas were quietly talking to each other in the front.

Robert’s hand kept feeling alongside his throat where he would soon be wearing his new collar. The skin was still sensitive where the old, too tight collar had dug into it but it would be healed in a matter of days. Who would have thought that Robert would ever look forward to wearing an Alpha’s claim?

His eyes drifted to Erik, watching the thin golden ring enclosing his throat. It was located lower than usual collars in order to accentuate the long, slender neck; a ring so thin that it could have been a thread of gold. Only the front was slightly broader, building a small almond-shaped frame right underneath the Adam’s apple which harboured a small grey-green gem. The colour looked vaguely familiar to Robert and it took him a good ten minutes to realize that it resembled Nuri’s eye colour. This could hardly be coincidence, so Erik must have chosen it deliberately, meaning that he had got a say in this matter. That knowledge soothed Robert for some reason and he finally met Erik’s attentive gaze.  
“I have never seen such beautiful collars like yours and Joshua’s before. They must have cost a fortune, they look fit for the Omega of a king.”

Erik smiled proudly. “Indeed they do. And they’re more than just pretty jewellery, they are quite useful as well. Just look.” He raised his hand to the gemstone and without warning he yanked at the collar. 

Robert flinched when he saw the almond-shaped frame coming loose and landing in Erik’s palm but it was the beeping sound from the front of the car that caught him off-guard.

He whirled around to see Jakub reach ing into his pocket and pull ing out a small, red-blinking device and when Robert squinted his eyes, he could read ‘ERIK’ on the display. Jakub pressed the two small buttons to each side of the device and suddenly the name disappeared and instead showed a moving map of streets with a blue button and a blinking red button right beside each other.

Robert’s eyes widened as he understood. “A tracking device. So you can find us when we are in trouble.”

Jakub nodded. “All you have to do is rip off your gem and the Alpha whose collar you are wearing will get notified. Mats is truly a genius when it comes to technology, his collars are unique in the world. There are also a couple of other gimmicks to them but I think you get the idea.”

Disbelieving Robert stared at the ruined collar. “You could have just told me, you didn’t have to destroy your beautiful collar for that.”

In front of him Thomas chuckled amusedly. “No need to panic, Robert. No one would be able to afford Mats’ collars for their Omegas if  one had to substitute them after every assault.”

Robert frowned and turned back to Erik, not knowing what to expect when the younger Omega offered the gem to him. Carefully Robert took it from him, rolling it around his fingers to inspect the damage. He expected to see the end of the torn thread or perhaps a crack in the frame but to his astonishment the two ends where it had been connected to the golden metal, were blunt and smooth, almost like tiny magnets. Robert looked up and indeed, the end at the metal ring around Erik’s throat looked the same.

“This is truly brilliant,” he uttered in fascination before slowly raising his hand, putting the gem back to where it belonged. “The sensors alarm the Alpha no matter where he is? There must be so much technology inside of this small little knobs, I don’t want to imagine how much money you have to spend for such a high-tech accessory. And there are really Alphas out there who buy them for their Omegas? Besides you obviously.”

Jakub sighed. “A few. But most Alphas think no Omega is worth so much money. They think the customary collars do just fine, they show that an Omega is their property and if someone is stupid enough to touch or even hurt them despite this warning, then the Alphas get compensation from the government. Economically speaking it doesn’t make sense to spend so much money for the protection of an Omega. Which is sad, really.”

They fell silent then, Robert’s eyes fixed on Erik’s collar for the rest of the ride. If there were only a few Alphas who bought such collars, Mats surely couldn’t do this to make money. But for what other reason would anybody invest so much time and effort into developing such complicated technology? Was Mats an Omega as well and therefore knew how much one of his kind would cherish to have this kind of protection? His curiosity was growing stronger and stronger with each minute and when they finally reached their destination half an hour later, Robert was surprised. They were standing in front of a large, modern building in the middle of a busy city, the floor to ceiling windows revealing at least fifteens large offices where dozens of people were working. Robert’s neck was beginning to hurt while he was trying to make out the people in the higher floors. “I thought you said Mats doesn’t make a lot of profit with these collars?”

Thomas who had exited the car as the last one and was still standing beside him, nodded. “Yes, that’s why it’s only… well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a hobby, more like an obsession of his. What you’re seeing here is the law agency he is running successfully.” He winked at Robert. “His specialty is Omega rights and let me tell you, he is the best in it. He has oftentimes won even impossible cases and has become a thorn in the side of many renowned Alpha lawyers.”

Deeply impressed Robert followed the three other men into the building, tensing up as soon as they had stepped into the entrance hall when dozens of scents hit him like a brick-wall – Alpha, Beta and Omega alike. Robert had never considered that it might be overwhelming for him to be in the midst of a crowd again but of course he should have thought of that. This was the first time in seven years that he was surrounded by so many people of whom he didn’t have to be afraid of. Sweat was breaking out on his skin and he was suddenly unable to move further, waiting anxiously even though people passed him without throwing him a second glance. 

Erik seemed to have anticipated that because he did not look particularly surprised when he called after the two Alphas. “Thomas, Kuba, hold on for a moment! I think Robert needs a moment to collect himself.”

The couple returned to them and Robert flinched when he felt Thomas’ hand on his back, gently urging him to take a step forward into his waiting arms. “Come here, darling.” Robert obeyed with a panicked whimper that broke off as soon as his face was pressed against Thomas’ neck and he was able to breathe in his first Alpha’s strong scent. Thomas was rubbing his back soothingly, his voice only a low whisper. “Just take deep breaths, there is nothing to fear here. No one is going to hurt you.”

Robert closed his eyes, allowing Thomas’ presence to calm his heart and chase away his fears. When he turned his face slightly, his nose was brushing over a patch of rough skin – Thomas’ mating bite – and immediately he got distracted by the traces of Jakub’s scent, the flavour of both Alphas creating a compelling mix that made the Omega go weak in the knees. Then there was a new touch at his back and warmth seeped through his shirt and into his skin. He opened his eyes and looked over his own shoulder to see his second Alpha standing there, watching him carefully.

“If this is too soon for you, we could come here another day. There is no need to get this matter settled right away.”

Robert shook his head vehemently. “It’s alright. The situation just caught me by surprise but it was necessary. You can’t wrap me up in cotton wool forever.”

He let go of Thomas and took a deliberate step towards the reception desk, doing his best to stay aware of the fact that he was not alone in this, that his two Alphas and Erik were there to help him should anything happen.

The young man with the dark brown hair and big glasses at the other side of the desk looked up at him in surprise, a polite smile appearing on his face. “Can I help you, sir?”

He was a Beta without the slightest hint of dominance which made it easier for Robert to talk to him. “Me and my Alphas were hoping to meet your boss.” He hesitated, not sure how to proceed but the Beta’s eyes dropped briefly to his throat - taking note of the absence of a collar, Robert realized – before he looked over Robert’s shoulder where Thomas and Jakub were standing, nodding into their direction in greeting.

His gaze softened when he returned his attention to Robert. “You’re lucky, my brother just came back from his last meeting for today. I will let him know that you will come to his office.”

He handed Robert a small card - a blank visitor pass - before pressing a small button next to his computer. Robert took the card and turned back to the others with a frown. “And now?”

Jakub motioned with his head for Robert to follow him. “Now we will use the elevator. Mats’ office is on the top floor which can only be accessed with the card Jonas just gave you.”

He led them towards one of the elevators and Robert followed him nervously, glad to feel Thomas and Erik at his sides. He knew it was stupid to be afraid of an assault, no man would be  brainless enough to do that here where anybody could easily see them, but Robert couldn’t help it.

While the elevator was taking them higher and higher, Thomas leaned over to whisper into Robert’s ear. “Just as a warning, Mats is an Alpha. But you don’t have to be afraid of him, he is only interested in Omegas in a professional way.”

Robert swallowed, steeling himself for the coming encounter. “Thank you for telling me.”

Thomas shrugged, a grim expression in his eyes. “I’m not making the same mistake twice. I don’t want to see you panicking like you did when you first saw Kuba.”

Robert refrained from telling him that this had been a completely different matter because Jakub turned out to be his true mate, not to mention that he had an unusually dominant aura even for an Alpha. But this wasn’t important now. Thomas was trying to look out for him and Robert appreciated that.

With a  'p ling ' the doors of the elevator opened and Jakub lead them over the corridor with secure steps, clearly knowing his way around here. They came to stand at a large black door and Jakub shot Robert an encouraging smile before knocking at it.

“Enter,” came the response and Jakub pulled at the doorknob before stepping aside to let Thomas, Erik and Robert in.

The younger Alpha led them inside and Robert followed a step behind, his body tense and ready for flight. But the man waiting inside the large, modern office made no move to approach the Omega or even acknowledge his presence, instead smiling at the other Omega in the room.

“Hello Erik. It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you, you look great.”

Erik nodded and his answering smile was honest even though he was too submissive to meet the Alpha’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Mats stepped around his desk and reached out to pull Thomas into a firm hug.

Robert was still conflicted as he watched the scene, taking in Mats’ appearance. As it was expected in his profession, he wore black suit pants and an anthracite button-down. His dark brown hair was slightly curled at the ends, giving him a playful appearance that made him look gentler than he probably was, his warm brown eyes only accentuating that impression. He was even taller than Thomas and Robert could not help feeling intimidated by this man even before the strong scent hitting him confirmed Thomas’ earlier words; that Mats was indeed an Alpha. 

Mats joyful smile as he hugged Thomas froze before he had even started speaking and he pulled back with a frown. “Your bite smells different.”

Robert tensed even further when he realized that Mats had been able to smell Robert on the other Alpha. It shouldn’t be surprising; after all Robert had bitten down on the mark only a day ago but it made him feel vulnerable that this stranger had been able to tell right away that Robert had given himself over to Thomas.

The latter didn’t seem to bother though. “And it’s great seeing you too, Mats. Still as perceptive as always I see.”

Mats gave him a look but could not reply when Jakub stepped closer, reaching out his hand in what was the appropriate greeting for two unrelated Alphas. “Don’t mind my mate, you’re right of course. We would like to introduce you to the newest addition of our family.” He turned around. “Robert, will you please come and join us?”

The warmth in Robert’s chest at hearing Jakub refer to his Omegas as ‘family’ faded when his second Alpha addressed him and he reluctantly came closer. He didn’t dare to drop his gaze like it would be appropriate but met Mats’ eyes, an urge born from years of defiance as well as the refusal to let a threat out of sight.

Mats didn’t look annoyed by his behaviour, his lips still showing an encouraging smile when he slowly offered his hand. He did not come closer though, raising his hand in a slow motion and waiting for Robert to grasp it on his own. It was obvious that he was used to dealing with frightened Omegas and Robert felt a bit less anxious when he reached out to take it, glad that the handshake was soft.

“It’s nice to meet you, Robert. My name is Mats as you have already heard.” He released Robert’s hand and turned his eyes away much to Robert’s astonishment. Alphas didn’t like losing a staring contest since breaking eye contact first meant being the more submissive party.

“You took your time, Thomas. You wrote me a message that you bought a new Omega three days ago, why did you only come to me now?”

“I didn’t want to rush it,” Thomas replied. “Robert needed some time to settle in and start trusting us. And Kuba was, well… kind of occupied.”

Mats raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask further, instead he walked to an adjoining door, motioning for them to follow him. “I assume Robert will wear your collar, Thomas, am I right?”

Thomas nodded, suddenly grimacing. “Please don’t tell me you don’t have to take my blood again. Can’t we use something else like my saliva or sweat?”

Beside Robert Jakub snorted in amusement. “Oh, Thomas, you have done this eight times now, you know it’s not that bad. It barely hurts.”

Thomas growled at him darkly while Mats answered his question. “I’m sorry but you know it doesn’t work like that.”

Robert swallowed. “What are you all talking about? How is Thomas’ blood of any relevance for my collar?”

Mats turned around to him, smiling softly. “Government collars open after identifying the fingerprint of the Omega’s rightful owner. Do you have any idea how annoying that is whenever your Alpha is trying to caress your neck before he pulls you closer to kiss you?”

Not in a million years had Robert expected that answer and he raised his own eyebrows in disbelief. Mats’ smile became stiffer when he added, “My collars take a drop of blood from your Alpha to open up, meaning he can kiss and stroke and bite at your throat all he wants without having to worry about the collar.”

He patted at the comfortable wing chair in the strange room they had entered, one that looked like a mix of a library with all the books at each side of the wall and a workshop, considering all the stuff and devices lying around on the table.

Carefully Robert sat down, watching Jakub and Erik walk towards the couch at the window and sit down there while Thomas took the free seat beside Robert.

Mats was already buzzing around the room, pulling out basic collars and holding them into Robert’s direction but pulling back with dissatisfied snorts before Robert even got the chance to reach out for them.

Robert dared to look at Thomas, seeing an amused grin there. “What is he doing?”

“Trying to find a collar that suits your type and appearance. Don’t worry, he always get like that. I told you it’s an obsession and that he takes it very seriously.”

Obviously. Robert could only watch with fascination as Mats kept rummaging around in the room, chiding himself whenever he seemed to have chosen something that didn’t suit Robert at all. The latter kept quiet even though he wanted to tell Mats that it was just a collar and that all of them looked beautiful to him.

Suddenly Mats froze. He had his back turned to Robert and it was impossible to see what exactly had caught his attention but a few seconds later he whirled around and came back to Robert.

“You are welcome to tell me your honest opinion,” Mats told him and waited until Robert had nodded before revealing his choice.

The collar was breathtaking. Robert stared at it with wide eyes, struggling to believe that he would get to wear this piece of jewellery for the rest of his life.

It was a thin silver choker that looked just wide enough for his throat, a web of other threads building from its line to the left and right. They were long enough to presumably reach the edges of Robert’s shoulders if he wore the collar around his throat. In the middle of the ring, encircled by this intriguing spider web was a small knob where the gem was supposed to be. Carefully Robert reached out for the collar, his fingers ghosting reverently over the silver web. To his surprise the threads were incredibly light and flexible, almost like strands of hair, clearly in order to give its wearer as much freedom to move as possible.

Robert managed to tear his gaze away and look up at Mats. “This is for me? Are you sure?”

“If you want to, this is all yours.”

Robert turned to look over to the couch, seeing the same kind of adoration o n Jakub and Erik’s faces. He turned to the one who would get to make the decision for him, finding Thomas already watching him attentively. “How do you like it?”

Thomas chuckled. “I absolutely love it, but it is you who has to live with it, so this is your choice.”

“But it will be your claim on me,” Robert argued confused. “Don’t you want to choose it?”

“No, that’s your decision. It’s the act of putting it around your neck that will satisfy my instinct to mark you, not choosing the design.” As if to undermine his words Thomas deliberately leaned back in his seat.

Robert returned his gaze to the work of art in his hands and he knew it wouldn’t be a tough choice. This collar was just too beautiful to ever think of wearing anything else. “Put it on me, Thomas. Right now.”

The Alpha didn’t look surprised by the request but he didn’t obey right away. Instead he waited until Erik and Jakub had stood up and were approaching the door that they had just come from. 

Robert frowned and raised his voice to call after them. “Wait, why are you leaving?”

Erik grinned. “Getting collared by your Alpha is a very intimate experience, I think you two deserve a moment of privacy for that.”

Before Robert could respond, Jakub added, “Erik is right. You think I was exaggerating when I got jealous that Thomas would get to collar my true mate?”

And then they had both disappeared through the door. Mats handed over the collar to Thomas. “You know what to do. Enjoy the moment and call us when you are ready to proceed.” Then he hurried to follow the others out of the room, leaving Robert and Thomas alone.

Robert stared after him for a moment before he turned towards Thomas expectantly. The Alpha smiled. “In my hands this collar appears so fragile but also so beautiful. I can totally understand why Mats thought it was a good choice  for you .” Carefully he stepped closer, the net dangling between their chests. “Ready to become mine, darling?”

Robert’s throat was dry as he simply responded, “Yes, Alpha.”

Robert steeled himself for the familiar feeling of getting constrained, expecting sadness and resignation even though he knew he was in the best of hands. But when Thomas put the silver ring of the centre around his throat with greatest care, completely different emotions were filling the anxious Omega. The cold metal made him shiver, even more so at the contrast to Thomas’ warm, gentle fingertips. The ring had the perfect fit for Robert’s throat; it didn’t choke him yet but was tight enough not to drop  too much  even though the lock was still open. Thomas had let go of his throat and was spreading the net over Robert’s shoulders until each tip was at the edge to his upper arm. When he seemed to be satisfied with the position, Thomas pressed down on one end, causing Robert to flinch at the sting of pain  when the knob  pressed into his skin, the sharp needle underneath tearing into his  flesh .

“What are those needles for?” Robert complained irritated.

“Sorry, but the needles are for safety reasons. Some occasions might require you to take off your collar and if you are forced to do this, then the knobs at your shoulders are still there in case of emergency. As long as you don’t run around half-naked, no one will notice them. No one will know that you already belong to someone but you can still alert me if you are in danger.” He turned to the other side to push the needle at the end of the net into Robert’s skin as well.

Robert barely noticed it this time. “Why would I ever want to take off your collar?”

Thomas shrugged. “Mats was just considerate. There are professions for Omegas that require them to appear as inconspicuous as possible. Undercover spies or night club dancers for example. These Omegas have to take off their collars for their job which would usually leave them unprotected.”

Robert eyed the end of his left shoulder. The little knob was so flat that it could be easily mistaken for a silver  glitter particle ; it looked so harmless that it was hard to believe that it might save his life one day. “Do I have to tear the needle out of my arm to alert you?”

“No, just press both of them at the same time. If both sensors are activated simultaneously, the tracking signal will be transmitted to me.” He took back a step, eyeing Robert up and down with hungry eyes. “You look ravishing wearing my collar.” His left hand was following the map of threads towards Robert’s shoulder while the other one was stroking teasingly over the ring around his throat, his touch tickling Robert where the lock was still open.

Robert was mortified to realize that he was beginning to harden in his trousers. “If you keep this up, we will be rolling around the floor in the next minute.”

Thomas’ eyes sparked with desire at those words. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

“Your mate is waiting outside,” Robert argued weakly, feeling his resolve crumbling.

Thomas was so close now that they were breathing the same air. “He is welcome to join.”

Robert had to argue, right? But why again? “Erik and Mats are also outside. Do you want to invite them as well?”

Thomas growled possessively. “Hell, no!” Then his expression softened a bit. “Though it would probably do Mats a world of wonder to have an Omega touching him again.”

Robert frowned as he tried to understand the cryptic statement, but Thomas merely shook his head when he opened his mouth to ask about it.

Carefully Robert crossed the last bit of distance between them, capturing the Alpha’s lips in a soft kiss. He had meant to pull back right after but Thomas’ hand around his neck prevented him from doing that as the younger one deepened the kiss, claiming Robert’s mouth hungrily. The Omega could feel his body respond so eagerly to the Alpha’s body, his cock straining against its prison and slick building between his thighs. It took him all his self-control to gently push at Thomas’ chest to make him stop.   
“Thomas, please. You’re going to make me beg.”

Thomas’ lips curled in satisfaction but he took a step away to get some much-needed distance between them. Robert’s gaze inevitably dropped down to the Alpha’s groin and he had to lick his lips when he saw the visible bulge there.  
“I think we both need a minute.”

Thomas nodded in affirmation and he stepped towards the window as he tried to get his body under control again. Robert was picking at his now very tight and uncomfortable pants that were damp and sticking to his backside, knowing that the others would be able to smell his arousal once they returned. He loved Jakub and the blond Alpha was a part of this strange bond as well but Erik and Mats were not. The thought of them knowing about this made him wish the ground would open and swallow him up.

After a moment Robert broke the tense silence. “Jakub, Erik and Mats all knew that something like this would happen, that’s why they left. Does that mean it is a normal reaction to getting collared?” He hesitated, trying not to feel jealous. “Does it mean Joshua got aroused as well when you put your collar on him? Or Erik and Łukasz when Jakub collared them?”

Thomas was right in front of him before Robert had even finished, cupping his face tenderly. “No, don’t think like that! The others knew they had to leave because there is always a reaction to this experience.” His thumbs stroked over Robert’s bottom lip. “I don’t exactly know how Erik and Łukasz reacted but do you want to know what happened to my Omegas; to Joshua?” When Robert nodded he continued, “He broke down crying. It was just too much for him, I brought him here on the same day that I bought him. He was young and not as damaged as you, I wanted him to get this protection as soon as possible and he agreed without much protest. But despite that, it was so overwhelming for him to get an owner and a collar in the space of a few hours that he cried for twenty minutes straight in my arms. I hated seeing him like this but he needed it to cleanse himself of all this pain and fear he had endured until this point.”

Robert could definitely relate to that. The thought of Thomas collaring him right after he had bought him from that prison was terrifying. “If you had put a high-tech collar on me on our first day; one that would be impossible to remove and enable you to track me no matter where I am, I think I would have clawed your eyes out.”

Thomas chuckled. “Yeah, Omega Nine would have definitely done that, I could tell right away that he wasn’t ready for this experience yet.”

They stared at each other silently for a while, neither of them willing to move. A deep sense of calmness was overcoming Robert now that his desire had waned and eventually he tilted his head to the side, leaning into the Alpha’s hand. “I like it when you touch me like that.”

“Your face?” Thomas asked with confusion.

“No, silly,” Robert responded with a surge of fondness for his oblivious Alpha. “When you touch me tenderly without expecting anything more. The last few years every touch I received was either because of medical reasons or related to pain.”  
Thomas stiffened, his eyes darkening with murderous fury that was clearly not directed at the man in front of him. “Or sexual interest.”

Robert could not argue with that even though he hated seeing Thomas so upset. “Or that, yes. Omega Nine had forgotten what kindness is because there was none to be found in that hell we were living in.” He raised one hand to Thomas’ cheek, trying to imitate the Alpha’s soft touch. Thomas’ eyes snapped back to him in an instant. “Then you came. And you saved me, you gave me back my life and my hope. I can never thank you enough for that.”

Thomas’ hand dropped to Robert’s throat, his fingers enclosing it even more firmly than the ring of the collar. “When I first saw you in that cell, I knew that you had to be mine. Th is black panther, held captive for years but still hissing at everyone coming near him.” The grip around Robert’s throat was so tight now that it was almost painful but to his own surprise he found that he didn’t mind at all. “I wanted to earn your trust and your love; I wanted you to submit to me willingly more than I ever wanted anything else.”  
Robert tried to swallow around the lump forming in his throat. “I’m sorry that I can’t give you what you want. You deserve all that you are asking of me and you already have my trust and my love. But I can’t give you my utter submission yet, you know that.”

“Because of Marco, I know.” Thomas looked away at that but he stayed where he was, not giving Robert much room to breathe.

The Omega felt the need to add, “I promised Jakub that he would be the first one who  would get to claim me if things with Marco didn’t work out. I thought it would be easier for you to rein in your instincts than it will be for him.”

A humourless smile appeared on Thomas’ face. “I guess you are right with that. I’m not as dominant as Kuba, that’s why it is only natural for me to get in line, right?”

Robert could sense right away that this conversation was going into the complete wrong direction. “That’s not at all what I was thinking when I promised Jakub that.”

“But it’s still true, isn’t it?” Thomas asked and he sounded deeply hurt. “You know what people said when Jakub and I mated? That I was the Omega of our relationship. That I was the submissive one in bed; that I enjoyed getting knotted by my Alpha. And you know what? They are right with all of that.”

“Stop,” Robert demanded as gently as he could, completely shocked to realize that Thomas had to deal with more problems of his own than Robert had thought. “Your relationship with Jakub is so much different from any other’s; neither of you is the Omega. You don’t like getting dominated by an Alpha in general, you only like it because it is your mate whom you love deeply. You told me that you only learned to love him with time, right?” At Thomas’ hesitant nod he added, “Tell me, did you submit to him the night after you completed your bond? Or in the days after?”

“No. We were just friends and had only completed this bond in order to stay in the same unit and be able to help Omegas. We didn’t have sex or even kiss for months.”

“Why not?” Robert asked bluntly. “If you liked getting knotted, you would have needed him during your rut. He was your mate, you had every right to ask him to fuck you.”

Thomas growled. “The mere thought of letting him dominate me in bed seemed completely impossible. And the first few times we were intimate with each other, we did it while Neko was present so we could both focus on him in case we got uncomfortable.”

“Then tell me again why you doubt that you’re a proper Alpha,” Robert demanded. “Because what you just described to me sounded a lot like two Alphas falling for each other and trying to make their relationship work.”

Thomas still didn’t look entirely convinced. “I know, but I can’t help feeling like I… softened. I used to be the kind of Alpha that dreamed of having a nice Beta mate at home, at least three kids running around the house. A typical Alpha dream. And look at me now. I’m mated to a more dominant Alpha. When I have a rut or come home after a day of seeing frustrating stuff at work, I can’t just grab my mate and fuck him hard like every part of my body wants me to because it would end in disaster and I could seriously hurt him. And it’s the same for Kuba; he had to apologize to me yesterday for giving in to his instincts and fucking me senseless while every Omega or Beta would have been delighted instead. How could our lives become so twisted?”

Robert didn’t know what to say for a while. Thanks to having seen Thomas’ memory he had a much better understanding of an Alpha’s struggle than before but it was still hard grasping a dominant man’s set of mind. “To me it sounds like a relationship that requires a lot of trust from both parties. Yes, it’s not easy for you to submit to Jakub most times but you shouldn’t think that your mate takes any less joy in the act just because you don’t lie down and spread your legs for him willingly. And you shouldn’t think of yourself as weak  just  because you don’t mind letting Jakub be the more dominant one in your relationship. You’re an Alpha yourself, so it requires a lot of strength from you to be able to do that. The level of love and deep feelings that you two share is hard to achieve, you should be proud of that.”

“I know,” Thomas cut in and he finally met Robert’s eyes again. “And I’m far from ashamed for my relationship with Kuba. But sometimes I wonder if he wouldn’t have it easier with someone else. He always needs to be careful with me and he can never be too possessive of me in public, otherwise it would ruin my reputation at work. Not to mention that he will never be able to have children of his own.”

“Neither do you,” Robert reminded him. “He is not the only one sacrificing a lot, you have to as well. And you’re right, your relationship isn’t easy at all. But I think that’s what makes it so strong. Not many Alphas would have managed to submit three times in a row, not even for their mate.”

They fell silent then and Robert watched Thomas’ face closely but the spark of sadness and self-hatred had left his expression. He was thinking about what Robert had just said. After a while he finally spoke again. “I respect the promises you made to Marco and Kuba. And should you be forced to move on without your first love, then I will allow Kuba to claim you first without any protest. But I have a wish.” When he didn’t speak further, clearly hesitant if it was okay to ask this, Robert squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Thomas’ eyes began to glow red, reminding the Omega of a deep blue sea burning with the flames of sunset. “I want to feel you inside of me. I want you to mark me inside out and have me in a way that only my mate has ever had me before.”

Robert’s breath faltered and he was struggling to believe that he had actually heard the Alpha right. “Are you sure, Thomas? You know you don’t have to do that, I am an Omega and I would be fine with bottoming all the time.”

“It’s not about that,” Thomas insisted. “I’m asking for this because of entirely selfish reasons, Robert. I’m a possessive man and I want to be your first for once. Kuba will be the first to claim you but I will be the first person you have ever made love to.”  
Robert shivered in response to those words and he could practically feel the waves of desire rolling off the Alpha in front of him. Thomas’ eyes were entirely red by now. “I want to feel you so badly that it takes me all of my self-control not to beg you for it now.”

Robert couldn’t agree more and he was endlessly glad to feel Thomas ' tight grip around his throat that distracted him from the Alpha’s words. He didn’t fight when Thomas used it to pull him closer, giving him no room to move or turn his head away when his lips sealed the Omega’s in a hard kiss. Robert opened his mouth instantly, allowing the younger one in while he had to wonder again how he was ever supposed to cope with leaving his two Alphas behind if he found Marco again.

When Thomas had to break away for air, Robert used the moment to remind him, “The others are still waiting for us. We should let them in before they think you have savaged me.”

“If they actually thought that, Kuba would have already barged in and ripped my head off,” Thomas argued but he let go of Robert’s neck and took a step back.

Robert felt cold suddenly, missing the Alpha’s body heat seeping into his skin but he kept quiet as he watched Thomas walk towards the door and open it.

“Finally!” Jakub exclaimed before Thomas could even start speaking. “What took you two so long?” He froze and it wasn’t hard to tell that he could detect the note of arousal in their scents. He eyed them both suspiciously before returning to his previous place at the couch.

Erik gave Robert a curious look that turned into one o f admiration when he took in the collar around Robert’s neck but he joined the blond Alpha without saying anything.

Mats was the last to come in and his eyes lit up upon seeing the piece of jewellery on Robert’s neck. “I don’t want to praise myself but this collar looks truly stunning on you, Robert.” 

“Thank you,” Robert replied with a pleased smile. “You did a great job at making it; I thought it would be heavy and uncomfortable. But I can barely feel the threads, only the ring around my throat and the two ends at my shoulders.”

“That’s great to hear,” Mats replied before crouching down and putting a large wooden box onto the worktop. “There is still one thing missing though.”

Robert leaned forward to get a better look at the contents of the box, seeing several neatly separate areas, each of which had different coloured stones in them. “The gem,” he uttered in awe. He had completely forgotten about the  most important part of Mats' collars .

Mats turned to Thomas. “What choice will it be? Or do you want me to rattle off the meaning of each stone  to you  again?”

“No, thanks,” Thomas replied immediately before inspecting the stones carefully. He seemed to be torn between a translucent, almond-shaped stone with an ice-blue colour that obviously resembled Robert’s eye-colour and a flat plate that looked like a grey stone with the shimmer of all rainbow colours reflecting off it.

Mats grinned. “The courage and fidelity of aquamarine on the one hand? Ammolite's perfection and wisdom on the other hand? Good choices, they both are quite the eye catch and suit Robert perfectly from what I can tell.”

He was right, they both looked beautiful. But instead Robert found himself drawn to one of the simple round stones at the edge of the box. Its colour was a deep, almost  a dull black but it was the structure that was most interesting. There several holes and uneven edges like miniature craters, reminding him of a black moon.

Robert was so captivated by it that he didn’t ask for permission first but just reached out to take one of the stones into his hand. It looked heavy for its small size but when he reached out, it was surprisingly light just like his collar was.

Mats made an approving sound. “That’s a  lava stone. One of my favourites but it is not very popular with my customers because neither is it shiny nor colourful. It is said to  help shedding unneeded layers of attachment  and provides strength and stability in times of change. Some even call it the stone of rebirth. ”

Thomas reached out and carefully took the stone from Robert’s hand. “Not shiny or polished but with rough edges. Not broken but having scars that belong to it.  Rebirth.  It’s a perfect metaphor for you, Robert. Do you want it?”

Robert nodded eagerly. “If it’s alright with you of course.”

“Then the matter is settled,” Thomas announced and turned back to Mats expectantly.

The dark-haired Alpha took the little gem and disappeared from the room with it, leaving the two Alphas and Omega alone. Jakub who had been suspiciously quiet until now rose from the couch and came closer to Robert, his eyes drifting from the collar to his face. “Are you alright?” He must be thinking of the reactions of other Omegas, like Joshua’s.

“No, I’m not alright,” Robert replied and when he saw Jakub’s face falling, he hurried to add. “I’m happy. This collar will always protect me, you two will always protect me. I’m truly safe for the first time in seven years and nothing can take that away from me.”

Carefully he rounded Thomas, his hand brushing against the latter’s to show him that he was grateful and had not forgotten him even when he leaned forward to kiss Jakub. The blond Alpha stilled in surprise, enabling Robert to take charge of it and part the older one’s lips with his tongue. He didn’t care that Erik and Mats were still there and watching them, only wanting to reassure his second Alpha.

After a moment he pulled back, just enough to whisper softly. “I will be forever grateful to both of you, Jakub. So no, I’m not alright at all. I’m so happy that I want to throw myself into your arms and never let you go again.”

He could tell from the raw expression in Jakub’s eyes that his words touched the Alpha deeply. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

Despite his words he allowed the Omega to step out of his embrace and turn towards the third Alpha in the room. “I think I’m ready now, Alpha.”

“Mats,” the latter corrected him with a fond smile before raising his hand to show the small device that he had fetched in the meantime. With the sharp, pointy tip and the little translucent tube attached to it, it wasn’t hard to figure out that its purpose was to take Thomas’ blood like Mats had teased earlier.

Thomas stiffened but with a resigned sigh he raised his arm for the other Alpha to take. Mats took the arm and positioned the needle at the visible, thick vein in the crook of Thomas’ arm with the experience of a person who did this on a regular basis. During his time in prison Robert had oftentimes got blood taken from him and he had always hated that process, so he flinched in phantom pain with Thomas when the needle pierced the younger one’s skin. Deep red blood filled the tube instantly and Jakub let out a stifled growl at seeing his mate getting hurt, something that would have made Robert smile if he wasn’t so busy suppressing his own sneer.

But Mats was done quickly, pulling out the needle and giving Thomas something to press onto the wound, then he sat down on the chair in front of a giant microscope. He was apparently applying a few drops of blood to the sensor at the sides of the  lava stone before turning to the computer screen beside him, his hands flying over the display to apparently do the fine-tuning.

Robert and Jakub approached Thomas simultaneously when the younger Alpha sat up again. He hadn’t been joking when had claimed that he was afraid of needles judging by his pale face and the cold sweat on his skin.

“Looks like this never gets any easier,” he announced with a forced smile before disposing the patch of cotton wool in the trashcan to his left. He relaxed slightly when Jakub sat down beside him and rubbed his back, no hint of mockery in the blond’s expression.  
“It’s fine, love. There are much more embarrassing things to be afraid of than needles.”

Robert had to smile at seeing their love when Thomas wordlessly reached for Jakub’s hand before they both turned back to Mats expectantly.

The dark-haired Alpha had shoved the ocular to the side and stood up with the gem in his hand. “I have added the serial code of Robert’s collar to your tracker, Thomas. Everything is set.” He smiled encouragingly at Robert. “I will connect the gem with your collar now and then I will lock it. You might want to sit down for that.”

With a nervous nod Robert took Thomas’ previous place on the stretcher, forcing himself to lie still when Mats approached him. The situation reminded him painfully of the medical inspections in prison and for a moment Mat’s face blurred to one of his most frequent doctors.

 

“ _The subject is in good health, sir.” The doctor was smiling but it was less directed at Omega Nine than his own work. “I can’t explain why he hasn’t given up yet, but I suppose this will change soon. His heats have been getting stronger and more frequent in the past months, it won’t be long until he will be begging to every Alpha that comes to his cell.”_

_Omega Nine tried to growl and lash out at the doctor looming above him, but the drugs were still strong and kept him from moving. Oblivious to his anger the doctor turned to the man silently watching the scene from the other side of the glass_ _window_ _._

_The man’s muffled voice came through the speakers. “I hope you are right with your assumption. This Omega could make a lot of money for us if he wasn’t so defiant. The sooner his spirit breaks the better.”_

_The doctor came even closer, a long needle with a grey liquid in his hand. “Well, this substance could help along with that. With regular injections every week it will enforce the Omega’s heats and make him more willing for any kind of advances.”_

_Omega Nine’s eyes widened in panic and he tried his hardest to struggle against the fog of his narcotics but all he managed was a low sob._

_The man frowned. “Are there any health risks to it? Any permanent damage that could be relevant for the buyer?”_

“ _No. Side effects include fatigue and minor forms of depression that could obstruct his own sexual pleasure but nothing more. In a few weeks he will be as obedient as a dog, I promise you that.”_

_Omega Nine managed to move his arm but what had been intended as a hard shove merely turned out as a weak push against the doctor’s side._

_The man watching them nodded detached. “Then medicate him with this drug. I’m tired of losing out on so much money because of this one Omega.”_

_Omega Nine tried to scream and scramble away when the doctor put the needle at his throat, but he was still too weak to fight against it, one hand coming around his throat to hold him in place before-_

 

“Robert!” 

Jakub’s voice cut through the memory like a sharp blade and it took the Omega  a second  to realize that he had zoned out – again – and it was Mats looming above him as well as Thomas’ hand at his throat instead of the doctor’s. Robert shook his head to get rid of the bad taste the memory had left. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really. Just some stupid thoughts coming to my mind.”

“They are not stupid!” Jakub and Thomas protested at the same time. The two Alphas briefly looked at each other before sitting down to each side of Robert, clasping one hand between their palms. 

Jakub was the first to speak. “We are here with you, nothing can happen to you here. You know that right?” When Robert had nodded, Thomas added in the same gentle tone, “Mats would never hurt you. And even if he did, my mate and I would be the first ones to  tear his guts out for that. And I’m not exaggerating here.”

Robert had no trouble believing that, not with how possessive these two were. He doubted no second that they would kill anyone who dared to harm him. That they couldn’t take revenge for what had happened in Robert’s past must tear them apart.

He squeeze d his Alphas’ hands gratefully and looked back at the man who was patiently waiting in front of him. “I think you can go on now, Mats. Jakub and Thomas will be able to ground me should my memories flare up again.”

Mats obeyed immediately, leaning forward to get a good lo o k at the open lock of the collar at the back of the Omega’s neck. His dark scent was pure and heavy up close, the natural fragrance of a strong Alpha that Robert had expected all along but there was a lingering sweetness to it that he couldn’t quite place. It was not part of his natural scent, only detectable now because his throat was just a few inches away from Robert’s nose.

The Omega was so caught up in his latest discovery that he flinched in surprise when one of Mats’ hands moved to his chest, right to the centre of the collar and a soft ‘click’ resounded when the gem connected with the collar.

Robert looked down at the small black stone that would protect him from now on and he had to marvel at the way it looked in the midst of this fine, silver net. Mats gave him a moment to come to terms with it before he raised both hands to the back of Robert’s neck.

Robert could feel  the  fingers on the skin at the small gap, his neck tingling in response. The sweet note was still fresh in his nose and for some reason it made it easier for Robert to calm down, ensuring him more than words ever could that this Alpha was no threat for him.

The lock closed with another soft click, the thin ring of metal now complete and making Robert gasp at the unexpected sensations coursing through him. He had known all along what it meant to be a collared Omega but to experience it was still an overwhelming moment.

On the one hand  t he terrifying realization that he was someone else’s property; that Thomas could do with him however he pleased because he had no rights beyond those tying him to his rightful Master. But on the other hand he was now untouchable for any other person. Everyone who dared to touch or even look at him the wrong way had to fear the consequences. He belonged to Thomas now in every sense of the word.

Robert had not been aware of his violent shivering but suddenly Jakub and Thomas had both put his arms around him, enclosing him in their combined warmth as he struggled to come to terms with the situation.

Mats was still in his personal space but he was less calm now, a yearning look in his eyes, red flames dancing in the brown iris. There was something raw and scary in his body language, something that made every hair on Robert's arms stand up but then he finally saw  _it._ And he understood.

Robert raised his hand to the side of Mats' throat, his fingertips gracing the skin above the Alpha's pulse point where it was slightly darker. The change was almost impossible to see but now that Robert had spotted it and realized what it meant, he could not unsee it. The crescent-shaped mark was small and its colour faded seamlessly into the surrounding skin.

Slowly Robert pulled away from his own two Alphas, checking Mats' face to see if he wasn't crossing a line. When he found no objection, only this raw expression, he hid his face in the dark-haired Alpha's neck and inhaled deeply.

Like he had suspected the sweet note was stronger here, but still too subtle to detect it when one wasn't looking for it, confirming Robert's suspicion.

“You are mated.”

Heavy silence settled over them for a long moment, something in Mats' eyes dulling when he finally responded. “Yes, I am.”

Robert tilted his head curiously. “An Omega?” It made sense given the light, sweet scent of the mark. When Mats nodded stiffly, he added, “What's the Omega’s name?”

He was not sure what exactly he had done wrong but he could tell that he unintentionally upset Mats; the latter’s scent stinging with deep sadness. Still the Alpha smiled softly when he responded, “Benni. His name was Benni.”

The past tense wasn’t lost on Robert. “Was?”

Suddenly Erik, who had stayed in the back of the room for most of the time in order to not disrupt this crucial moment for Robert, approached carefully, reaching out for Mats’ shoulder. The Alpha allowed himself to get pulled into the smaller Omega’s arms and it was Erik who responded to Robert’s question.

“Benni was killed in an assault six years ago.”

Robert froze in shock, deep sympathy filling him. It made sense now why Thomas had mentioned that it would do Mats good to feel an Omega’s touch again or why he was so invested in Omega rights. “I’m so sorry about your loss,” Robert replied in a grave voice.

Mats took a deep breath to compose himself before fixing his eyes on Robert, the sudden burning intensity in them indicting that he was thinking back to the moment he had lost his mate. “He was my best friend before we presented. And when he presented as an Omega at the age of nineteen, I knew I had to buy him straight away. My family thought I had lost my mind when I announced I would form a mating bond with an Omega, only my brother Jonas seemed to understand.  But we were happy for two wonderful years.” For a split-second a melancholic smile appeared on his face, making him look much younger. Then the light in his eyes faded again. “One night though he didn’t come home after a visit to the grocery store and I went out searching for him. I found him after two hours of searching every street in a radius of two miles. He was still alive when I spotted him lying behind the bushes in the park.” His hands curled to fists, the fury radiating off him so strong that Erik let him go to take a step back. “He had been beaten down and then raped by an Alpha. He was so disturbed that he didn’t even recognize me when I tried to pick him up, he screamed at me not to hurt him.” He shivered, something inside of him breaking all over again at reliving the memory. “He died in my arms even before the ambulance arrived. And when the  police found the Alpha responsible for the death of my mate, all this monster got was a one year sentence at prison and a fine of $ 250,000.” Mats growled in anger. “That’s how much Benni was worth to the authorities. I got my money and was supposed to be quiet and move on.” He bared his lips to a sneer. “But I could not do that. I wanted justice for my mate. And I wanted to ensure that no Omega would have to endure the same that he did. So I decided to retrain. I had been studying to become a lawyer for economics but shifted my focus to Omega rights and my family and friends later helped me to found this agency.”

Robert’s heart was aching after listening to Mats’ story and he got up to cross the distance between them, pulling the Alpha into a hug. Neither Jakub nor Thomas voiced any protest so he figured it was alright to stay like that for a while, comforting the lonely Alpha. His eyes met those of Erik over Mats’ shoulder and the younger Omega went in as well, hugging Robert and Mats from the side.

Robert waited for a while but when he could be absolutely sure that Mats was not going to ask for more than to be held by both Omegas, he dared to  go on . “So this is the reason why you fight so ferociously for Omegas.”

Mats nodded, nuzzling Robert’s throat. “Every Omega could be someone’s Benni.”

He pulled away reluctantly, his eyes still brimming with sadness despite his soft chuckle. “So much for my policy to not seek physical contact from my customers or clients. I’m very sorry to all of you.”

Thomas came closer again to squeeze the other Alpha’s hands reassuringly. “There is no need to apologize. I told you that you should have more physical contact with Omegas. Your celibacy is not healthy for you at all.”

Mats looked away at that. “I know and I tried. But I always see Benni in front of me, I don’t want to betray him.”

“You won’t,” Erik argued without hesitation. “Not as long as you never forget about your time together. But you need to accept that it is gone and that you deserve to be happy again.”

“Thomas and Erik are right,” Jakub said at last as he stepped beside Robert, his hand coming up to rub over the small of the latter’s back to convey how proud he was of the Omega’s action. Robert hadn’t even realized that he needed it but he relaxed instantly at the warm touch, almost missing Jakub’s next words. “You deserve to find love again. But you will never succeed if you continue to lock your heart away. Benni will always be an integral part of you even when someone else comes into your life.”

Mats took a deep breath. “I’ll try. I just need a bit more time.”

“We understand,” Thomas replied softly. “Just don’t take too long, okay?”

Mats nodded before completely disentangling himself from the Omegas, the sadness and frustration that had been surrounding him a few minutes ago fading quickly. “When you two” – he  g lared good-naturedly at Thomas and Jakub – “take some time off from buying all handsome Omegas off the market, then you can take me out some day and help me searching.” He looked at Robert but then seemed to think better of it and grinned at Erik instead. “Unless  _you_ are interested?”

The younger man snorted in amusement. “Sure thing, Mats. I’ll forget about Nuri and will ride off into the sunset with you.”

Mats tilted his head curiously, all signs of banter gone. “Who is Nuri?”

“My future mate,” Erik replied proudly and his eyes lit up with that longing smile which he always showed whenever Nuri was mentioned. “He is the reason why I came along today. Because Robert has found him and our Alphas will buy him today.”

Mats’ whole composure changed, a sense of peace overcoming him. “That’s such great news, I’m really happy for you, Erik. I guess I will have to make another special collar tonight then. A counterpart of yours.”

Erik smiled gratefully. “That would be lovely.”

“Then we will see each other very soon again. You should keep going, it’s already late afternoon.” He turned to Robert. “I will turn in the registration papers for your collar and upgraded protection tomorrow morning. What last name should I add to the papers?”

He was most likely asking for Robert’s birth name, but the Omega didn’t have to think twice about the only truthful answer. “Błaszczykowski.”

Mats stilled in surprise, his eyes darting to Jakub. “I don’t mean any offence but I had the impression that Robert was Thomas’ Omega, especially after he was the one collaring him.”

“He is ours,” Jakub replied and he put his arm around Robert’s waist to pull him close with a possessive growl. “He is not like Erik or Łukasz or most other Omegas that we have taken in. Robert is our mate.”

Mats’ gaze dropped to Robert’s unmarred throat but he didn’t make the mistake of questioning Jakub’s words. Instead he nodded calmly. “Then I apologize for the misunderstanding. And I wish the four of you that you will be happy together. Perhaps Robert can help Neko to heal like no Alpha ever could.”

Jakub sighed. “We hope for the same. But I won’t ask for a miracle at this point, I’m just happy that he is alive. And that we found Robert before it was too late for him.”

He nodded towards Erik and the Omega crossed the room to join him and Thomas, the three of them ready to take their leave. 

Robert offered his hand to Mats again. “Until tomorrow then, Mats.”

Mats merely smiled in return and shook Robert’s hand before walking them to the door of his office. But on the threshold a random thought struck Robert and he turned back to the Alpha. “Jakub told me that Neko has no memories of his old life. But Thomas made it clear that he lets his Omegas choose their gems themselves. It was the same with Neko?”

Mats nodded with a hint of surprise. “You think his choice could tell us something about his character? Or even be a hint to his past?”

“I’m not sure. But if Neko is as hollow and broken inside as Thomas and Jakub claim, then he is not capable of making a thoughtful choice. Either he simply liked the colour of the stone or he must have been acting on his gut feel which could be somehow related to his old life.”

Mats took a moment to think before he said, “I remember that moment very well. Neko had problems allowing me close but as long as I stayed out of his personal space he was completely quiet, like a ghost. It was truly scary, he barely responded to questions and seemed to zone out sometimes. But it took him merely one look into the box to choose his gem. An  aquamarine which struck me as an odd choice for him.  Courage, fidelity, emotional balance, love. All of these were things I did not relate with him at first glance but when I explained the meaning of the gem to him, he showed the first signs of fight. He was hell-bent on getting this gem.”

An  aquamarine . Apparently Thomas wasn’t the only one who was fascinated by this gem. Strange coincidence.

“Thank you, Mats.”

He finally followed his Alphas and Erik out of the door, his right hand coming up to touch his own collar again. He was safe now. No matter what would happen, Thomas would always be able to find him and rescue him once again.

The thought made Robert smile and  he  linked his fingers with those of his first Alpha, squeezing  them gratefully. “You have no idea how much this means to me, Thomas.”

The latter looked at him with burning eyes. “Oh, I do. Because it means a lot to me too. Even if Marco will take you away from us, we will always be able to find you no matter what. If you need  your Alpha s , you just have to tear off your gem and we will come for you.”

“I have never thought of that,” Robert admitted astonished.

Before Thomas could respond, a low growl from Jakub interrupted them. “Are you done flirting now? We still have things to do before it  is getting dark.”

Robert was irritated by Jakub’s behaviour, not realizing that the Alpha was merely teasing them until he heard Thomas’ amused laugh. “Someone is getting jealous, hm?”

Jakub growled louder this time and even though  Robert knew that these two Alphas would never hurt each other, he placed himself between them, his right hand still entangled with Thomas’ while he raised his free hand to Jakub’s face, affectionately stroking along the jawbone and feeling the stubble against his own skin. “There is no need for you to get jealous, Alpha. You know that I love you as I much as I love Thomas, right?

Jakub pretended to think about it for a while but the amusement dancing in his eyes was too obvious to miss. Robert smiled before leaning forward, glad when Jakub met him in the middle and they were suddenly kissing. It was a soft and slow kiss but when the Alpha pulled back, desire and possessiveness were coming off him in waves  when he announced with barely hidden pride, “I love you too, Mr Błaszczykowski.”

Robert’s heart made an excited flip at his new name. “Why does this feel like we just  got married?”

Jakub laughed. “ Is this supposed to be a proposal?”

Robert did not get to answer when a dry cough interrupted them and they found Thomas looking at them with a raised eyebrow. “Who’s flirting now?”

But he didn’t stop them when they leaned in to kiss again, so it had to be Erik’s impatient growl that eventually separated them. The Omega was already waiting at the elevator, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I hate to ruin your moment but the anticipation is killing me. So please save your celebrating and love declarations for later.”

Jakub and Robert parted and obediently allowed Erik to lead them out of the building, the latter’s excitement transferring to Robert as well. So many good things had happened today and he hoped many more days like this one would come.

Days that would see lives saved and lovers reunited…

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is highly appreciated.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Love Is A Battlefield](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11578749) by [Blue_Night](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night)




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